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STATUE OF QUEEN VICTORIA AND THE PRINCE CONSORT 

Windsor Castle, 



THE LIFE OF 



Queen Victoria 

^**- ■ AND 



THE STORY OF HER REIGN 

A Beautiful Tribute to England's Greatest 
Queen in Her Domestic and Official Life 

AND ALSO THE 

LIFE OF THE NEW KING, EDWARD VII. 
CHARLES MORRIS, LLD. 

Author of " Famous Hen and Great Events of the 19th Century," 
"The Greater Republic," Etc. 

\vTTH AN INTRODUCTION EV 

J. CASTELL HOPKINS, F.S.S. 

Auther of "The Story of the Dominion," "Life of Sir John Thompson," Etc., Etc 

AND 

MEMORIAL TRIBUTES 

BY THE MOST 

NOTED MEN OF ENGLAND AND AMERICA 



Profusely Illustrated with reproductions from Original Photographs, 
copies of the great paintings from the Royal Palaces and Rare Prints 



THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. 

PHILADELPHIA CHICAGO TORONTO 



i rw-wrN of Conp;re«e 

1 <.»MMES fa 1 F«vro 

FEB 21 1901 

j Co^ngM wiry 

SKONDCOPY 



DA 4". 



Kntered according to Act ol Congress in the vear iaoi 4 hy <ft 

W. E. SCTJXJL,. «* 

i 

in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. • 

& 

^ 

ALL H1QBT4 KK8EHYBD, ^ 

i 






The Life of the Great Queen 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Introduction to tbe Storp ot a liloUc Xife 



CHAPTER I 
VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE . . 17 

CHAPTER II 
CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 39 

CHAPTER HI 
FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 59 

CHAPTER IV 
ACCESSION AND CORONATION 74 



vi TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER V 
BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 96 

CHAPTER VI 
HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS no 

CHAPTER VII 
PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 121 

CHAPTER VIII 
THE QUEEN AS MOTHER : 138 

CHAPTER IX 
TOURS AT HOME .150 

CHAPTER X 
OSBORNE AND BALMORAL ..... 165 

CHAPTER XI 
THE BUSY WOMAN 184 

CHAPTER XII 
JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 196 



TABLE OF CONTENTS vii 

CHAPTER XIII 
NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 209 

CHAPTER XIV 
VICTORIA'S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 228 

CHAPTER XV 
THE CRIMEAN WAR AND THE INDIAN MUTINY . 241 

CHAPTER XVI 
MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 265 

CHAPTER XVII 
LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 293 

CHAPTER XVIII 
A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 313 

CHAPTER XIX 
THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 327 

CHAPTER XX 

PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS ....... 341 



viii TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER XXI 
THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 364 

CHAPTER XXII 
THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 394 

. CHAPTER XXIII 

GLADSTONE AND DISRAELI, VICTORIA'S GREATEST 

MINISTERS 405 

CHAPTER XXIV 

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE 

EMPIRE 427 

CHAPTER XXV 
LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY, THE FAMOUS TRAVELERS . 440 

CHAPTER XXVI 
THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE DURING THE QUEEN'S REIGN 453 

CHAPTER XXVII 
LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 466 

CHAPTER XXVIII 
THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 478 



TABLE OF CONTENTS ix 

CHAPTER XXIX 
THE IMPOSING FUNERAL PAGEANT 496 

CHAPTER XXX 

MEMORIAL TRIBUTES TO A NOBLE LIFE 515 

• (By noted men op England and America) 

CHAPTER XXXI 

THE QUEEN AND HER COLONIES— A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 531 

By J. Casteee Hopkins, F.S.S. 

CHAPTER XXXII 
THE VICTORIAN ERA 543 

CHAPTER XXXIII 
KING EDWARD THE SEVENTH 562 



She IRever Swerved Jfrom 2>ut£ 



by- 



Lord ROSEBERY 

Formerly Liberal Prime Minister 

It is no hyperbole to say that in the whole history of 
mankind no other death has touched so large a number of 
the inhabitants of the globe. I sometimes wonder if we 
all realize how much we owe her, because you had to know 
much about the Queen to realize the debt the nation and 
her country were under to her. Probably every subject 
of Great Britain realizes that he has lost his greatest and 
best friend. She gave to the councils of Great Britain an 
advantage which no tongue, no brilliance, no genius can 
supply. 

She was by far the senior of all the world's sov- 
ereigns, and it is no disparagement to other kings to say 
that she was the chief of all European sovereigns. In the 
pursuit of her duty, in the performance of her duty, she 
never swerved, in spite of increasing age, in spite of failing 
eyes, and in spite of the innumerable domestic sorrows 
with which the latter years of her life were crowded. 



IFntrobuctton 

to tbe 

Stot^ of a Boble %\U 



THE twentieth century, which dawned hopefully upon many 
nations of the earth, brought only gloom and grief to Eng- 
land ; gloom from the death of her South African soldiers 
on battle-field and in hospital ; grief from the passing away of her 
beloved Queen, who had reigned over that imperial realm through 
the sunshine and clouds of nearly two-thirds of a century. The 
greatness of the nineteenth century has been abundantly commented 
upon. Much has been said about its wonderful achievements in 
science, art, and invention, its civil, political, and moral life. Yet 
it has nothing in its historical annals to present greater than the 
life of the noble Queen, who lived to see its end and closed her eyes 
upon the dawning days of the new century. 

Among the many other sovereigns of Great Britain there 
have been none who lived so noble and pure a life and presided 
over such a grand era of progress as the royal lady Victoria, whose 
late decease plunged the nation into such a depth of grief. Of the 
other women sovereigns — Mary, Elizabeth and Anne — only one 
could be called great, and it would be a misuse of words to call any 
of them noble. Victoria was not great in the sense of Elizabeth, 
her hand did not guide the ship-of-state, this was left to her famous 
ministers — Peel, Gladstone, and Disraeli, — but in moral elevation 
and nobility of character she rose far above them all, and as an 
example for good, a light in the pathway of right living and think- 
ing. Victoria had no equal in any of her predecessors on the Eng- 
lish throne. 

She reigned the longest of them all, her term of life upon the 
throne surpassing that of George the Third, her long-lived but not 



XI 



xii INTRODUCTION 

illustrious grandfather. She won the high distinction of completing 
a reign longer in years and more illustrious in its ethical standard 
than any that went before, and the tears of the people of England 
for their well-beloved sovereign lady were fitly and justly shed. 

It is not well that a woman— whether queen or commoner — of 
whom so much that is good and nothing that is evil can be said, 
should pass away and her life remain unwritten or unsung. We 
feel it incumbent upon us to place upon record the life of this good 
woman and righteous Queen, to tell the simple story of her child- 
hood and girlhood, the shrinking simplicity with which she accepted 
the high position to which fortune destined her, the pure love story 
of her betrothal and marriage, the happiness of the home life to 
which she withdrew from the cares of state, the intense sorrow 
which came to her in' the death of her devoted husband, and the 
many interesting events of her life as a woman and a queen. 

Victoria is sure to live in the chronicles of her country as the 
" Good Queen." The illness of no other monarch could have given 
the world more concern, or excited such general sympathy and 
regret. Rulers whose personal qualities inspire respect akin to 
affection beyond the confines of their own realms are rare. In this 
respect Victoria stands almost alone among the leading contempo- 
rary sovereigns, and it is a cause for rejoicing that one of the great- 
est of empires has been ruled during two-thirds of a century by a 
woman who personifies the domestic virtues and who has been 
accepted by her people, as one of the Queen's admirers puts it, 
as "the pattern and paragon of womanhood." 

Victor Hugo, in recalling the many men and women of high 
and low estate that he had known, said in a beautiful generalizatiop. 
of his estimate of humanity that there is only one thing before 
which we should kneel, and that is "goodness." This is the 
homage that the world cannot fail to pay to England's departed 
Queen. The regal state and the accepted race strike the imagina- 
tion ; but the homely virtues of Victoria, her maternal love, her 
life-long touching devotion to the memory of the Prince Consort. 



INTRODUCTION xiii 

the picture of domestic felicity in which she is represented as the 
central and venerable figure, appeal to the common heart. 

There was a homeliness in her domestic life throughout which 
strongly attracted the middle classes. No sovereign insisted more 
strenuously upon royal prerogatives, or more jealously guarded her 
royal interests. But along with this rigidity -in ceremonial life there 
was a steady devotion to duties and a complete absence of osten- 
tatious show and of theatrical effects in the inner life of the Queen's 
court. On this foundation there was reared durine the last fifteen 
years of her life a kind of legendary idyl, domestic and pastoral, 
around her Majesty, which wonderfully endeared her to the hearts 
of her people. 

We may fittingly quote the warm eulogy of the departed 
Queen made by Commander Booth-Tucker, the American leader of 
the Salvation Army : 

" The venerable sovereign of the British Empire won the affec- 
tionate loyalty of the many nations over whom she was called upon 
to rule, and the universal respect of the civilized world. Firm and 
yet tactful ; dignified and yet gracious, she filled her arduous posi- 
tion with singular success, and will doubtless be looked upon by 
coming venerations as a model sovereign. 

" The liberation of woman from the position of a domestic 
drudge or social butterfly, and the opening of doors of usefulness 
to her in almost every sphere — even those of government — was 
made possible largely by the delicacy and grace with which this 
foremost representative of her sex for two-thirds of a century con- 
ducted herself often under circumstances of a very trying character. 

The strong religious view, which she made no attempt to con- 
ceal, and yet which did not result in acts of bigotry toward those 
who might hold different views, increased the respect with which 
she was regarded. Bishops, chaplains, cathedrals, services, prayer 
and, above all, the Bible, were closely interwoven with her daily life. 

" She scrupled not to declare that she regarded the Scriptures 
as the foundation of her nation's greatness anc j the bulwark of its 



xiv INTRODUCTION 

security. After listening with interest to the eloquent sermons 
of the great divines who had access to her presence and whom she 
delighted to honor, she would seek to carry the comforts of the 
good Book to the sick or aged cottager on her estate, with the 
simplicity of a Bible woman, and without the least shadow of osten- 
tation. 

" Other sovereigns have undoubtedly been more talented, 
more aggressive and more ambitious, but Queen Victoria was a 
woman with a heart. The sorrows of her people never knocked 
vainly at her door. The tear of sympathy was mingled with a 
nation's tears, as well as with the personal bereavements and suffer- 
ings of individuals. 

"The poor believed that in Victoria they had a personal 
friend, a sympathizer, a sister, a mother. And they were not mis- 
taken. The royal court was made a persistent centre for all sorts 
of charities. 

"The death of Queen Victoria was regarded by every section 
of the British Empire as a national misfortune. Indeed, in some 
senses it might be regarded as an international one. In an 
age of democracy the Queen did not hesitate to meet the people 
more than half way, and was perhaps the most democratic ruler of 
her day. 

" She sought to encourage the comity of nations. Her whole 
influence was thrown into the scale against war, however righteous 
might appear the cause. A sincere Christian, a wise ruler, an affec- 
tionate wife, a kind mother, a lover of the poor, Victoria was in the 
best sense of the word, and will pass down to posterity as a 'peo- 
ple's Queen.' " 

In what is above said of the sympathy felt for the death of 
England'sQueen being international rather than national, the people 
of the United States must be included with those of the nearer nations 
of Europe, the event being one well calculated to draw closer the 
growing bonds of fellow-feeling between the two great nations of 
the Anglo-Saxon race. 



INTRODUCTION xv 

The American public shared with the public of the British 
Empire the profound sympathy, regret and apprehension with 
which the news of her decease was heard around the world. Revered 
as a Queen by her subjects she was not less respected as a woman 
by the citizens of the Republic, to which in the hour of its dire need 
she was a faithful friend. No American can forget that it was 
her act and her influence which warded off war in 1862, nor that 
through all the sixty-four years of her reign she was the friend of 
America. In her later years, in every possible way open to her, 
she made known to the world her regard as a ruler for the Ameri- 
can Republic and her appreciation as a woman of the affection, 
enthusiasm and the personal respect which she received from the 
American people. Nowhere was public grief stronger, or the sense 
of a personal loss deeper than in this country, where she stood for 
so many years in the minds and hearts of men as a woman true to 
all duties and a ruler loving peace and justice. 




Victoria 
U1886, 



Arthur 

D. of 

Connaugnt 



Leopolds 

first D. of 

Albany 



GENEALOGICAL" TREE OF THE QUEEN'S FAMILY 




CHAPTER I 

Victoria and Her Empire 

N the 20th of June, 1837, William IV. of England died, and 
his niece, the Princess Victoria, acceded to the throne. 
On the 22nd of January, 1901, Queen Victoria died, ripe 
with years and honors, after a reign of sixty-three years, seven 
months, and two days, the longest in the annals of the British 
throne. It was not only the longest but was the most remarkable 
of British reigns, in view of the extraordinary progress of the king- 
dom under her rule. In 1837 Great Britain had already an exten- 
sive colonial domain. We cannot show this more clearly than by 
quoting the telling words of Victor Hugo, written five years after 
Victoria ascended the throne : 

" England holds the six greatest gulfs in the world, which are 
the Gulfs of Guinea, Oman, Bengal, Mexico, Baffin, and Hudson ; 
she opens and shuts at her pleasure nine seas — the North Sea, the 
English Channel, the Mediterranean, the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, 
the yEgean Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Sea of the 
Antilles. She possesses an Empire in America, New Britain ; in 
Asia an Empire, India; and in the Great Ocean a world, New 
Holland (Australia). Besides she has innumerable isles upon all 
seas and before all continents, like ships on station and aj anchor, 
and with which, island and ship herself, planted before Europe, she 
communicates, so to speak, without dissolving her continuity, by 
her innumerable vessels." This famous writer goes on to give, in 
his inimitable style, a word-picture of the vastness of the British 
Empire as it then existed, and adds : " All the places we have 
named are the hooks of the immense net whereby England has 
taken the world." 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 



If such was the empire under the sceptre of Victoria in the 
early days of her reign, what shall we say of its extent when the 
new century dawned and her reign had reached its end ? In the 
words of a distinguished statesman : 




AFTERNOON TEA 



4 There is no parallel in all the records of the world to the case 
of the prolific British mother who has sent forth her innumerable 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 19 

children over all the earth to be the founders of half-a-dozen 
Empires." But leaving" these glowing utterances, let us endeavor 
to outline briefly the extensions of her Empire which have taken 
place during the reign of Britain's Queen. 

Turning our eyes eastward we remember that India — that 
mighty and many-peopled Empire, reaching from the giant moun- 
tain ranges of the Himalayas on the north to Cape Comorin in the 
south, and including Burmah on the east, — containing at the last 
census more than 290,000,000 human beings, speaking J& differ- 
ent languages, leaving out of count the innumerable dialects — has 
virtually been added to the British Empire during the epoch of the 
Queen's rule. * 

Turning southward, it may be said that the development and 
organization of the Australian Colonies were practically contempo- 
raneous with Victoria's reign. In 1837 only two of the seven Aus- 
tralian colonies existed, and their white population was only a few 
thousands. Now they contain nearly 4,000,000 civilized inhabi- 
tants, very largely of British descent, and form virtually a Greater 
Britain beyond the seas, which promises to become ere long a 
mighty factor in the politics of the world. 

To these Australian domains have to be added the possessions in 
Fiji, New Guinea, and other islands of the Pacific where now waves 
the British flag — a new Antipodean Empire, undreamt of in 1837. 

Looking across the Atlantic, we perceive the broad Dominion 
of Canada, whose progress in population, wealth and resources 
during the Victorian era has been by leaps and bounds. Manitoba 
and British Columbia are practically new empires. The British 
race has now peopled and subdued the wide territories from New- 
foundland on the east to Vancouver on the west ; from the St. 
Lawrence and the great Lakes on the south, to Hudson's Bay on 
the extreme north — -a territory nearly as large as Europe. 

Turning once more southward, we find that in 1837 C a P e 
Town was the only British settlement in South Africa. In 1843 
Natal was added ; in 1884 Basutoland, followed by Bechuanaland, 



2(5 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 



Zululand, Matabeleland, and other Kingdoms north and south of 
the Zambesi, so that now British rule extends from Table Bay to 
Lake Tanganyika, an inconceivably vast region, tropic and torrid, 
yet gradually being occupied and utilized by the English race. 

Similarly wide regions in West, Central, and Eastern Africa 
have come under the rule of England. And to these have to be 
added very many islands — the East and West Indies, Ceylon, 





mmm ^<'m r ^wu^~ 







IN THE QUEEN'S STABLE 

Straits Settlements, Borneo, Sarawak, Labuan, and numerous 
islands in the Western and Southern Atlantic. Moreover, there 
are settlements and ports innumerable, from the famous Rock of Gib- 
raltar, guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean, to Cyprus in the 
east, also British Guiana and British Honduras in Central America. 
Thus while in 1837 Great Britain had already an extensive 
colonian dominion, by 1901 it had grown to be one of the most 
populous and extensive empires upon the face of the earth, con- 
trolling a colonial area of such vast dimensions and abundant 




QUEEN VICTORIA igoi 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 23 

population as to remain almost without a peer upon the earth. 
With its 386,000,000 of population, it is only surpassed, if at all, 
by the problematical myriads of the Chinese Empire. With the 
8,827,860 square miles of area under its control it is more extended 
than even the vast Empire of Russia, which claims 8,660,395 square 
miles. 

Some conception of the growth of the British Empire under 
Victoria may be formed from the following table, of the dates of 
its various colonial accessions : 

1S39 — Aden annexed. 1875 — Sultan's share in Suez Canal 
1842 — Hong Kong acquired. bought. 

1842 — Natal taken. 1878 — Island of Cyprus occupied. 

1843 — Sindee annexed. 1886 — Burmah annexed. 

1846 — Sikh territory ceded. 1890 — Zanzibar protectorate assumed. 

1849 — Punjaub annexed. 1896 — Ashantees compelled to accept 
1852 — Fegu, Burmah, acquired. British sovereignty. 

1856— -Oude annexed. 1896 — Kitchener occupied Dongola. 

1858 — Crown assumed rule of India. ^99 — Partition of Samoa. 

1874 — Fiji Islands annexed. 1900 — Transvaal and Orange Free State 

annexed. 

In addition to this extended list of new possessions, Great 
Britain is in practical control of Egypt, and there is no present 
prospect of her withdrawal from the valley of the Nile. During 
Victoria's reign emigration has poured out to her colonies, many of 
which have now assumed the condition rather of important allies 
than of vassals of the crown. Representative government was 
granted to all the important colonies in 1865. Two years after- 
wards, in 1867, the North American provinces began to form a 
federal Dominion, which is now the wide-spreading Dominion 
of Canada. Later a like movement was instituted in Australia, 
and the opening day of the twentieth century saw the inauguration 
of an Australian Confederation. A South African Confedration 
seems likely soon to follow. The populous realm of India was 
constituted an imperial colony in 1876, the Queen being proclaimed 
Empress of India. As regards the relations of these great colo- 
nies to the mother country, two of them, Australia and Canada, are 



24 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 



practically independent, the governors-general, who alone link 
them to the home realm, having but a partial executive power. 
But they are firmly tied by bonds of common blood and loyal feel- 
in o-, and Britain's rare crown of colonies was, in the last days of 
Victoria's reign, without a flaw in its sparkling round. 

This broad extension of the Sovereignty of the Queen was not 
attained without frequent resort to arms, and her reign was marked 
by frequent wars, principally for the security of her old colonies or 
the establishment of new. We give below a list of what may be 
called the Victorian wars— though it may be said that the Queen 
herself was always opposed to the arbitrament of the sword: 



THE WARS OF VICTORIA'S REIGN 



1838 — Insurrection in Canada. ^1\— 

!839 — British forces occupy Cabul and 1877— 

take possession of Aden. 187S— 

1840 — War expedition to Syria. Mehe- 1879— 

met AH sues for peace. 
1 84 1 — Successful insurrection in Cabul. 

British invade China and take 1881— 

Canton and Amoy. 

1842 — British take Boer Republic in 1882— 

Natal. 1885— 
1845 — Outbreak of first Sikh war. 
1848 — Insurrection in Ireland attempted. 

Outbreak of second Sikh war. 1888— 
185 1 — Hostilities in Burmah. 

185 4 — Crime an war b ega n . 1 8 9 1 — 

1856 — Crimean war finished. England 1893— 

attacks China. Persians occupy 1896 

Herat, but British drive them out 

of India. 

1857 — War of the Indian mutiny. i§97 — 

i860 — Anglo-French expedition to Pe- 1899 — 

kin. 
1867 — Fenian insurrection in Ireland. 

While personally Queen Victoria had little to do with this 
broad extension of her dominion, the co-herence of the colonies to 



-Ashantee war. 

-British take Transvaal Republic. 
-War against Afghanistan. 
-War against Zulus. Roberts en- 
ters Kandahar. Transvaal up- 
rising. 

The battle of Majuba Hill. 
Mahdi revolt in Soudan. 
•War against Arabi Pasha. 
Invasion of Soudan ; Gordon 
killed. Riel rebellion in Canada. 
Conquest of Burmah. 
Defeat of Osman Digna near 
Suakim. 

Osman Dignacompletely'defeated. 
War in Matabeleland. 
■Kitchener occupies Dongola. 
Ashantees accept British sov- 
ereignty. 

-Revolt of Indian hill tribes. 
Transvaal declared war, which 
continued till after Queen' s death. 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 25 

the mother-country and their unswerving loyalty owed much to the 
silent influence of her character upon her far-spread people. In 
this regard we may quote from a Canadian subject of the Queen 
as to the services she has rendered the empire : 

" Of the forces working for union during the past sixty years, 
the most potent has been the personality and position of the 
Sovereign. The Queen was a rallying-point of loyalty throughout 
all the dark days of early struggle and political disaffection in 
Canada, and through the later events of American commercial 
coercion or efforts at annexationist conciliation ; throughout all the 
gloomy days of South African wars and maladministration and 
imperial indifference ; throughout the times of Australian conflict 
with the transportation system and struggles with a stormy and 
rough mining democracy ; and throughout the days of West Indian 
decadence or New Zealand's contests with powerful Maories. 
Everywhere the name and qualities and constitutional action of 
the Queen permeated Colonial politics, preserved Colonial loyalty, 
helped the British sentiment of the people, and developed their 
Constitutions along British lines." 

AN EXTRAORDINARY PROGRESS AT HOME 

While the dominions of the Queen were thus rapidly widen- 
ing abroad, an extraordinary progress was taking place at home, the 
changes in social, political, scientific, and other fields being so wide 
and sweeping that a return to the conditions which existed when 
Victoria first grasped the sceptre would, in many respects, seem like 
a relapse into barbarism. 

Consider the social changes, the amelioration of the condition 
of the people, the attention given to improved dwellings, the short- 
ening of the hours of labor, the national boom of education, the 
liberation of the child-slaves in mines and factories ; think, more- 
over, of the present facilities of travel and transit, of steam and 
electricity, of telegraphs with their instant communication to 
earth's remotest regions ; reflect upon the rise and beneficence of 



2 6 VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 

philanthropy and of the efforts now made for the mitigation of 
pain, suffering and sorrow ; these and many other tokens of progress 
which have signalized the era of the Queen merit close and candid 
consideration on the part of those who would tell aright the nation's 
story, and in especial that portion of it which belongs to the reign 
of the royal lady with whose life we are here concerned. 

Over this vast imperial domain, for nearly sixty-four years, 
ruled a woman whom we may pre-eminently call the Queen, for 
this title has become so familiar to us as designating Queen Victoria 
that men speak of her by her title without a thought of being mis- 
understood. The reign of Victoria, while the longest, deserves 
also to be called the most illustrious in British history. Others 
may have been more sensational. No other saw so great a progress 
made in the expansion of the Empire, in the development of politi- 
cal institutions and in the industrial, social, intellectual and spiritual 
advancement of the people. 

Under her sway the British Empire has grown to comprise 
one-fifth of the population and one-fifth of the land era of the 
o-lobe, including not only the United Kingdom and the Indian 
Empire, but also such great self-governing nations as the Dominion 
of Canada and the Commonwealth of Australia. Her people 
have proceeded from the status of a scarcely constitutional monarchy 
to that of almost pure republicanism, without a revolution or any 
violent upheaval, but with something like the smoothness and 
continuity of the precession of the equinoxes. 

The British nation has been warlike and aggressive, as of old, 
yet has led the world in the industrial and commercial arts of peace, 
and, above all, has attained in intellectual and spiritual life the 
hio-hest standing which nineteen centuries of the Christian era have 
made possible to man. There are few as fine chapters in the his- 
tory of civilization as that which records the doings of the elder 
branch of the Anglo-Saxon race in the last two-thirds of a century. 
There is not one comparable with it comprised within the limits of 
a single reicjn. And there is record of no other Sovereign who 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 27 

could so truly say, with respect to anything like comparably great 
achievements, "all these things I saw, and part of them I was." If 
Victoria did not say that of herself, it is but truth and justice that 
the world should say it of her. 

A POTENT AND MASTERFUL FORCE 

For this Sovereign was a potent and masterful force, albeit it 
was so often said of her that she reigned but did not rule. In fact, 
she did rule, often most arbitrarily. She did not meddle with party 
politics. She did not aim at personal government. The beginning 
of her reign marked the complete establishment of constitutionalism 
in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, her will was felt in almost 
every department of national existence. In more than one great 
issue of State she was the personal factor that turned the scale for 
peace and righteousness. 

There was no statesman in her service who paid more diligent 
attention to even the details of government work than she, and 
there was not one who did not recognize in her a quality and a force 
of statesmanship that must be taken into account. There were 
few philanthropists and publicists who took so keen, so intelligent 
and so effctive an interest in the social welfare of the people. There 
never was a Puritan reformer who more inexorably swept out of 
court all the scandal and license and intrigue that had made the 
Hanoverian regime odious, or who set and rigidly enforced a higher 
standard of personal purity and integrity of life. 

The Sovereign was not lost in the woman, as was unworthily 
the case in the reign of Anne. Neither was the woman lost in 
the Sovereign as was too often the case amid the splendors of 
the Elizabethan era. And in these circumstances we may perhaps 
find Victoria's highest title to illustrious fame. If we may para- 
phrase the words of Antony, her life was gentle and the elements 
so mixed in her that the world must proclaim her to have been at 
once a great Queen and a noble woman. 



28 VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 

Throughout her reign, with the exception of the brief interval 
of the Crimean War, Great Britain remained at peace with Europe — 
a fact which probably cannot be affirmed of any equal period of 
British history since the Norman Conquest. There have been 
rumors of war, numbers of them, but they died away like muttering 
thunders, their disappearance hastened, perhaps by the influence of 
Britain's Queen, who loved not war or its trophies. 

Outside Europe, indeed, this cannot be said. Hardly a year 
passed without its little war — sometimes developing into more than 
a little one. But insurrections in Canada, suppressions of the New 
Zealand Maoris, punitive expeditions into Ashanti and Burmah and 
Afghanistan and Abyssinia and even the re-establishment of order 
in China and in Egypt came and went without disturbing the 
peace of Europe. There were anxious moments too, as when the 
Sepoy mutiny imperilled the possession of India for a while, or, 
when the whole military power of England was drawn upon to 
subdue the Dutch republics of South Africa — a war which accord- 
ing to the prevailing report, was carried on against the aged Queen's 
wishes and saddened her last days. 

PROFITABLE GAINS OF TERRITORY 

These many conflicts had their material advantage in adding 
to the British Kingdom profitable gains of territory, including 
South Africa to the north of the Zambesi, Nigeria, East Africa, 
Nyassaland, Egypt and the Soudan to Uganda in the Dark Conti- 
nent, the nearly unbroken line from the Cape to Cairo ; the 
extended boundaries of India, Beluchistan, Burmah, and other 
East Indian territories in Asia ; New Guinea and countless islands 
of the Pacific, with Australia grown into a strong commonwealth. 
Gains not in lands alone, but in the increase of the sturdy English 
stock. It, perhaps, may be safely said, however, that Queen Vic- 
toria would gladly have given up these material advantages for her 
country, could she, by so doing, have prevented the bloodshed, ruin 
and misery which their acquisition brought to mankind. 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 29 

Far greater were the material changes that came to England 
during Queen Victoria's reign. She lived to see the bulwarks of 
England changed from the great wooden three-deckers, with their 
spread of sail and their muzzle-loading guns that did their duty at 
Trafalgar, to steel-armored cases of machinery hurling projectiles 
to a distance of a dozen miles, and destroyers hastening at thirty 
knots an hour to discharge their torpedoes under water. 

She lived to see an England mainly agricultural turned into a 
hive of mechanical industries and gridironed with railroads. She 
opened the first international exhibition, she sent the first cable 
message across the Atlantic — but the record of her reign is really 
the record of two-thirds of the century, a record of progress in arts, 
in sciences, in material improvements, in commerce, in wealth. 

The population of Great Britain has increased from 18,000,000 
to 33,000,000, while Ireland, the black blot on the reign, has fallen 
from over eight million inhabitants to four millions and a half. 
The great Colonies, too, have been brought closer, and the ideal of 
a Greater Britain, including even India, has acquired a misty out- 
line. A prosperous reign, surely, and a golden age for England, 
and to it the gentle, kindly woman of whom we speak contributed 
to the utmost that which her power and influence could aid. 

One thing further that we may say of the Queen's reign is, 
that the long interval during which the Sovereign found no occa- 
sion to assert herself openly against the wishes of her Ministers, 
reduced still further the shadow of authority left to the Crown by 
the British Constitution. The Marquis of Salisbury, backed by 
his party majority in the House of Commons, was more absolutely 
the ruler of Great Britain when the century closed than was Lord 
Melbourne at the Queen's accession, or William Pitt, when the 
century opened. Despite the deserved affection and loyalty of the 
mass of the English people for their Queen, which extends likewise 
to the rest of the royal family, Great Britain is to-day in fact, if 
not in form, a republican commonwealth ruled by its elective rep- 
resentatives, 



3 o VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 

Queen Victoria ruled far more over the hearts of her subjects 
than over their persons or fortunes. From the moment of her accession 
she never lost her hold upon their affections; nay, she unceasingly 
made it stronger and deeper. No one who has not inherited it can 
know the feeling cherished for the person of a sovereign ; and that 
Victoria enjoyed to a degree not equalled by any monarch of her 
time. As the power of the Crown declined her personal qualities 
as a woman grew steadily more magnified and loved. For years 
the faithfulness of the wife and mother who sat on the throne 
inspired with constantly increasing emphasis the speech of every 
Englishman who responded to "The Queen." She came to be the 
ideal Matron of a passionately home-loving people, and as such she 
broadened and inflamed the innate reverence for the nation's ruler. 
And yet, little and old as she was, it is said that no sovereign in 
Europe preserved to the last, like her, the quality and air of 
Royalty. 

A MODEST CHARACTER 

There have been many greater sovereigns than Victoria, but 
there has never been one more richly endowed with the qualities 
that win the people's affection. The story of her painfully climb- 
ing to the top of one of her palaces a few months before her death 
to cheer a sick servant, at a time when her own condition made every 
step she took a matter of state importance, was the sort of thing 
that counted more than intellectual brilliancy in winning the devo- 
tion of her subjects. 

Indeed, a more brilliant sovereign might have had a less suc- 
cessful reign. It was the British nation that was to make its 
empire great. An intellectual prodigy at Windsor could have 
done nothing to advance the national destiny, and might have done 
much to hamper it. A Napoleon, a Cromwell or a Frederick the 
Great on the throne of England could hardly have restrained him- 
self from an attempt at a personal government. At the stage 
which English constitutional development had reached at that time 
that would have meant friction, strife and possibly a crash. What 




Great European Monarcns Q ^ 

Contemporary wiw Queen Victoria- 




A HISTORICAL PICTURE REPRESENTING HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN AT 

THREE DIFFERENT PERIODS OF HER LIFE, ALSO THE 

GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER AND 

PARENTS OF HER MAjESI V 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 33 

was needed was a self-effacing monarch — one whose modest char- 
acter would form a neutral background on which the splendid 
picture of national energy might be effectively painted. 

Victoria was the perfect ruler of the Nineteenth Century. She 
might have failed in the place of Zenobia, of Elizabeth or of Cathe- 
rine II., but coming just when she did she made the "Victorian 
Age "the most splendid era in the history of her country. It is 
often said that her virtues extinguished republicanism in England. 
It is more accurate to say that her wise appreciation of her posi- 
tion allowed democracy to advance to such a point that it became 
no longer a matter of importance to Englishmen whether their 
government was nominally a republic or a monarchy. 

In 1837 the possibility of having a George III. or a George 
IV. on the throne was a serious affair and made people in England 
consider gravely whether they were living under the best possible 
form of government. In 1901 no king can do serious harm, for the 
government is in the hands of the people. 

THE PRESERVATION OF PEACE IN EUROPE 

Returning to the question of the preservation of peace in 
Europe, the wide-spread alliances of Queen Victoria's descendants 
with the monarchs of powerful nations can scarcely fail to have had 
a retarding effect upon threatened hostile relations. In the words 
of one writer: "With direct descendants, by birth or marriage, 
upon two of the great thrones of Europe, with other numerous and 
minor, though not unimportant, alliances in different countries, who 
shall say what opportunities of wise councils may have presented 
themselves to this royal mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and 
great-grandmother, whom discretion hath preserved and under- 
standing kept ? Who shall even guess what extremities may have 
been averted, what impetuosities calmed, what rough places made 
smooth, or what desirable conjunctions promoted by her quiet 
word in season dropped into ears not at all moments open to 
advice, though ever attentive to the speech of her lips?" 



34 VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 

An incident which was recently given in the daily papers illus- 
trates in an amusing way the relationship and tender bond existing 
between her Majesty and exalted families on the Continent : 

At a military gathering in Berlin, a colonel advanced towards 
a young lieutenant, who bore on his breast as a sole decoration a 
large badge richly set with diamonds. 

" Tell me, young man," he said, " what is that thing you have 
got there ? " 

" It is an Order, my colonel," replied the lieutenant. 

" An Order ! " exclaimed the colonel. " It is not Prussian, then, 
for I don't know it." 

" It is an English Order, my colonel," responded the juvenile 
officer. 

" Ah, indeed, said his superior, " who, for goodness sake, could 
have given you such an Order?" 

" My grandmother, my colonel," was the reply. 

" Your grandmother ! " ejaculated the colonel, bursting out 
laughing ; " what is her name ? " 

" Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Queen of England," answered 
the young lieutenant, who was none other than Prince Albert of 
Schleswig-Holstein. 

The officious colonel (it is added) suddenly disappeared. 

It is the popular impression that the Queen had little share in 
the responsibilities of the government, but that is a mistake. The 
Prime Minister of England did not go to bed for forty years 
without making a written report to his Sovereign of everything of 
importance that had occurred in official circles during the day, and 
these reports were laid upon Victoria's plate at her breakfast 
table daily without interruption even after the death of the Prince 
Consort, whether she was at Osborne or Balmoral or on the Riviera 
or visiting the palaces of some of her royal progeny. Those who 
have been in the House of Commons during the late night sessions 
have always noticed Gladstone or Rosebery or Salisbury, or who- 
ever was at the head of the government, with a block of paper on 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 35 

his knees making memoranda of the proceedings, like the reporters 
in the gallery, and if he had been followed to the post-office of the 
Parliament House before leaving for his home he would have been 
seen to drop into the pouch an envelope addressed to his imperial 
Sovereign which contained the penciled notes. The Queen was 
very exacting on this point. She did not often interfere with the 
policy of her Ministers, but insisted that she should be informed 
of all they said and did in her name. 

THE CROWN AS A POWER ABOVE PARTY 

One of the former Ambassadors from the United States, speak- 
ing of this, told an incident that came within his own experience. 
" At one time," he said, " I had a very important interview with 
Lord Salisbury, and, by instructions of the President of the United 
States, made certain representations of an unusually serious nature 
to him. The developments of the next day were such as to change 
entirely the policy of our government. It became necessary for me 
to call upon his lordship and inform him that the representations I 
had made the morning before were withdrawn, and requested him 
to consider that the conversation had never occurred. He expressed 
his pleasure, and then remarked : 

" ' I am a devilish lucky man, and so are you. For the first 
time since I have been Prime Minister I neglected my duty yester- 
day and failed to inform her Majesty of our conversation. I never 
did such a thing before. I do not know what impelled me to forget 
it this time, but I was under the influence of some good angel, and 
she need never know anything about it.' " 

The Queen, indeed, to an extent that only a minor section of 
the public appreciates, and as no other modern sovereign of Eng- 
land has done, realized and made manifest the value of the Crown 
as a power above party and representative of the whole people. 
She constantly acted to check Ministers who, to gain party vic- 
tories, stood ready to make national sacrifices, and, when the 
records of her later years come to be written, many instances of 



36 VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 

this kind will be shown, in which the Queen by direct counsel pre- 
vented a wrongful course being taken, or where the action taken 
met with her approbation gave testimony of her sympathy and 
appreciation. 

All government, party or otherwise, has for its warrant of 
existence only the welfare of the governed ; but the leaders of par- 
ties are very apt to forget this. It is the function of the monarch 
never to forget it, but to use every influence to prevent the interests 
of the nation as a whole from being sacrificed for the temporary 
advantage of a portion of the people. 

The Queen fully realized this, and also that in England, the 
will of the people is the ultimate power ; and her private opinions 
on political questions were never suffered to influence her in oppo- 
sition to the popular will. .Many of her Ministers have stated their 
experience of the Queen's recognition of and obedience to this fun- 
damental principle. Her private opinion was never suffered to 
stand in the way of her duty as a constitutional sovereign. She 
by no means blindly yielded to the proposals of her Ministers, but 
exercised a moderating influence in party conflicts, and in matters 
threatening a contest between the Lords and Commons often pre- 
vented matters from coming to a crisis, reminding the Lords that 
the will of the people is the basis of all authority, and bringing the 
leaders of the Commons into a spirit of conciliation and moderate 
action. In this way she served as an invaluable arbitrator, and in 
her life checked many a hasty action that threatened to lead to 
serious political consequences. 

HER SYMPATHY FOR THE UNITED STATES 

We may adduce some examples of this which directly concern 
the United States, a country with whose best interests the Queen 
was ever in warm sympathy. 

During the Civil War the British o-overnment, under the influ- 
ence of the cotton manufacturers of Manchester and the other 
commercial and industrial interests of the United Kingdom, was 



VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 37 

friendly to the Confederacy, but Queen Victoria was on the Unior 
side, and never permitted them to offer aid or comfort to the Soutl 
when she could prevent it. At the greatest crisis of the struggle, 
so far as England was concerned, when two Confederate envoys 
were forcibly taken from a British steamer by an imprudent Union 
naval officer, Lord Palmerston wrote a despatch to the British 
Ambassador at Washington, that was equivalent to a declaration 
of war. As usual with everything of this kind, the message was 
sent to Windsor Castle for approval. The Queen kept it over 
night, and the next morning returned it to her Prime M inister, with 
every offensive phrase stricken out. 

During the Spanish-American War Lord Pauncefote paid two 
visits in person to the White House and saw the President alone. 
On these occasions he brought messages from his Sovereign, The 
first visit was made at the time when the President had sent his 
ultimatum to Spain requiring the withdrawal of the Spanish army 
from Cuba and the recognition of Cuban independence. The atti- 
tude of the other powers of Europe was unfriendly. Spain had 
appealed for their protection and intervention was feared. Hence 
the message Lord Pauncefote bore was gratifying and opportune, 
for he said that he had been commanded by her Majesty the Queen 
to assure President McKinlcy of her faith in his motives and her 
confidence in his wisdom, and that the government of Great Bri- 
tain would support him in any measures he might adopt to restore 
peace in Cuba and relieve the inhabitants of that island from the 
tyranny of Spain. 

The second visit was made while the Peace Commissioners 
were in session at Paris, and it was the natural consequence of the 
first, for the message on this occasion carried an even greater 
responsibility than the first. He said that the Queen had commanded 
him to say that any disposition of the Philippine Islands that 
left them subject to the sovereignty of any government but the 
LTnited States would be greatly regretted by her government. 
Thus more than anybody else was Queen Victoria responsible for 

I 



38 VICTORIA AND HER EMPIRE 

the Philippine problem that is now perplexing the United States. 
Nobody knows what might have happened if that message had not 
been sent, but, having received it, President McKinley had only 
one course to pursue. 

With the exception of Alexander II. of Russia, who stood so 
closely behind President Lincoln during the Civil War, Queen 
Victoria was probably the most consistent valuable friend the 
United States has ever had among the sovereigns of Europe. She 
never lost an opportunity to show her goodwill and friendship ; she 
never failed to offer her support and encouragement when needed. 

During the jubilee ceremonies in 1887, a party of American 
tourists engaged a tally-ho coach for the purpose of witnessing the 
entrance of the Queen into London, and stationed themselves at a 
convenient turn of the road in Hyde Park, which they knew she 
would pass. By some oversight of the police they were permitted 
to enter the park, and were not discovered until the Queen's car- 
riage was upon them, when the guards made a great ado and were 
about to send the whole party to prison. The Queen's progress 
was stopped for the moment, and, beckoning to an officer, she 
asked the cause of the detention. Hearing his explanation, she 
said in a tone that was perfectly audible to the strangers : 

" If they are Americans let them stay." 

At this, every lady on the coach arose and waved her hand- 
kerchief, and every gentleman waved his hat and gave one of 
them "three cheers for Queen Victoria, the friend of the United 
States." At this she smiled, and made a low bow of acknowledgment. 

That evening one of the gentlemen addressed a formal letter 
to the Queen, apologizing for the incident, explaining the presence 
of the party behind the police line, and thanking her for her 
gracious intervention. Within a few days he received a reply from 
the Queen's secretary, who said that her Majesty had commanded 
him to acknowledge the receipt of the explanation, and to say that 
it always gave her pleasure and gratification to think that the 
American people were her friends. 




CHAPTER II. 

Childhood of the Young Princess. 

N the 24th of May, 18 19, in the old Palace at Kensington, 
West London, a royal seat of King William III. and 
Queen Mary, was born a blue-eyed, fair-haired girl baby, 
who, at that time, no one dreamed would one day become Queen 
of England. George III. was then King and between the little 
princess and the throne stood his three sons, the Dukes of York, 
Clarence, and Kent. The new-born child was the only child of the 
youngest of these, the Duke of Kent, and any children born 
to her two uncles would have debarred her from the throne. They 
both reigned, the first as George IV., who was childless, the sec- 
ond as William IV., whose only child, a daughter, died in infancy. 
Thus nature seemed to have preserved the throne of England for 
that blue-eyed infant, who was so worthily to fill it after years. 

The Duke of Kent had married, in 1818, the Princess Victoria 
Mary Louisa, of Saxe-Coburg Saalfield, widow of Prince Charles, 
of Leiningen, and sister of Prince Leopold, afterwards King of 
the Belgians. The little princess, while not regarded as heir to the 
Crown of England, was warmly welcomed and highly honored. 
Her father, who grew to love her warmly, had loftier hopes for her, 
and is said to have exclaimed : " Look at her well ! She will one 
day be Queen." When a month old she was baptized by the Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London assisting, The cere- 
mony was one of great pomp and splendor, the golden royal font 
being brought from the Tower of London for the occasion. The 
Prince Regent wished to give her the name of Georgiana Alex- 
andria, but it was finally decided to name her Alexandrina Vic- 
toria, the latter name that of her mother. During her childhood 

39 



4 o 



CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 



she was generally known as the Princess " Drina," but in later 
years she called herself Victoria alone, wishing to be known by her 
mother's name. 

When about six months old, the little Princess was taken by 
her parents to Sidmouth, a pretty watering-place on the Devon- 
shire coast. Here she had a very narrow escape from being killed 

It seems a boy wa 
shooting sparrows near 
the house, when he acci- 
dentally fired a charge 
of small shot through 

o 

the nursery window, 
some of the pellets pass- 
ing- close to the head 
of the royal infant, 
then in her nurse's arms, 
but happily without 
hurting anyone. 

When three years 
old the Princess had 
another deliverance 
from danger. When 
driving with her mother 
in Kensington Gar- 
dens, she was thrown 
out of her pony car- 
riage, which would have 
fallen over upon her 
but for the quickness 

of a soldier, who seized her dress and pulled her out. He was 

rewarded by the Duchess, but more than half a century passed 

before he learned whose life it was he had saved. 

The affectionate father did not long live to enjoy his "little 

mayflower." One day, while at Sidmouth, on the coast of Devon, 




THE ROYAL PEW IN THE CHAPEL ROYAL 



s s 

(I >- 

a 2 

<3 O 

S "-3 

o O 

-• 2 

3 ►O 

p > 

o > 

3 o 





CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 43 

he came in with wet feet after a walk in the grounds. He was 
urged to change his boots and socks, but, seeing his infant smiling 
on her mother's knee, he snatched her up and began playing with 
his darling. This neglect brought on a chill, and inflammation of 
the lungs ensued. A country doctor was called in, who, according 
to the old fashion, bled him severely (120 ounces of blood !). 
Then an eminent London doctor was sent for, but too late to save 
his life. On Sunday, January 23, 1820, the Duke died, praying 
with his latest breath for his wife in her heavy responsibility of 
training the Princess child. 

Right nobly did the Duchess of Kent discharge her important 
duty. At the time she could speak scarcely a word of English, 
but she devoted herself with great assiduity and prudence to the 
bringing up of her child. Princess Victora received her education 
under her mother's constant and loving care, being kept during her 
early years, by order of the King, in strict seclusion. 

Two days after the death of the Duke, the Duchess of Kent, 
accompanied by her babe and her brother, Prince Leopold, set out 
for London. Where all was sad and mournful there was one eleam 
of sunshine, for the infant, " being held up at the carriage window 
to bid the assembled population of Sidmouth farewell, sported and 
laughed joyously, and patted the glasses with her pretty dimpled 
hands, in happy unconsciousness of her melancholy bereavement." 
The Duchess arrived at Kensington Palace on the 29th of January, 
and on that very day the Prince Regent succeeded to the throne by 
the death of his father. The likeness of the Duke of York to her 
lost father deceived the little Princess Victoria, and when the former 
came on his visit of condolence, and also subsequently, she stretched 
out her hands to him in the belief that he was her father. The 
Duke was deeply touched by the appeal, and, clasping the child to 
his bosom, he promised to be indeed a father to her. 

Interesting stories are told of the time when Princess Victoria 
appeared, at fifteen months old, in a child's phaeton, tied safely to 
the vehicle with a broad ribbon around her waist. The baby liked 



44 CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 

to be noticed, and answered all who spoke to her. She would say, 
" Lady," and '* Good Morning," and, when told, would hold out her 
soft, dimpled hand to be kissed. " Her large, blue eyes, beautiful 
bloom and fair complexion made her a model of infantine beauty." 

The life at Kensington was as simple as that of any English 
household. The family party met at breakfast at eight o'clock in 
summertime, the Princess Victoria having her bread and milk and 
fruit on a little table by her mother's side. After breakfast, the 
Princess Feodore studied with her governess, Baroness Lehzen, and 
the Princess Victoria went out for an hour's walk or drive. From 
ten to twelve her mother instructed her ; after which she amused 
herself by running through the suite of rooms which extended 
round two sides of the palace, and in which were many of her toys. 
At two came a plain dinner, while the Duchess took her luncheon. 
After this, lessons again till four, then would come a visit or a 
drive ; and after that the Princess would ride or walk in the gar- 
dens ; or occasionally, on very fine evenings, the whole party would 
sit out on the lawn under the trees. At the tinje of her mother's 
dinner, the Princess had her supper, and after playing games with 
her nurse, she would join in the dessert, and at nine she would re- 
tire to her bed, which was placed by the side of her mother's. 

Occasionally the child longed for companions of her own age, 
and a delightful anecdote is related in illustration of this. As the 
youthful Princess took great delight in music, her mother sent for 
a noted child performer of the day, called Lyra, to amuse her with 
her remarkable performances on the harp. On one occasion, 
while the young musician was playing one of her favorite airs, the 
Duchess of Kent, perceiving how deeply her daughter's attention 
was engrossed with the music, left the room for a few minutes. 
When she returned she found the harp deserted. The heiress of 
England had beguiled the juvenile minstrel from her instrument 
by the display of some of her costly toys, and the children were 
discovered "seated side by side on the hearthrug in a state of high 
enjoyment, surrounded by the' Princess's playthings, from which she 



CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 45 

was making the most liberal selections for the acceptance of poor 
little Lyra. 

Lord Albemarle, in his " Autobiography," tells of how he used 
to watch her from the window at play in the garden. " She was in 
the habit of watering the plants immediately under the window. It 
was amusing to see how impartially she divided the contents of the 
watering-pot between the flowers and her own little feet." Her 
simple but becoming dress contrasted favorably with the gorgeous 
apparel now worn by the little damsels of the rising generation. 

A SUPERFLUITY OF PLAYTHINGS 

The little Victoria could well give a share of her toys to her 
playmate, — as in the anecdote above stated, — for she was abun- 
dantly supplied, the lonely life with which palace etiquette surrounds 
the children of royalty being solaced, as far as possible, with a super- 
fluity of playthings. We are told that at one time she was the 
proud possessor of one hundred and thirty-two dolls at once. 

Although very ordinary little Dutch toys, many of them with 
painted wooden faces, they have all been preserved with many other 
mementoes of the childhood of England's remarkable sovereign. 
Most of these dolls represent ballet-dancers of the Queen's child- 
hood, in costume. 

In her memoirs the Queen writes that she was frequently taken 
to the opera, and that she enjoyed it very much. At home in her 
nursery, the forlorn little girl played over and over again the operas 
and ballads of which she was so fond, with her little wooden 
puppets dressed in scraps of rich silk and satin. The modern 
mother and her trained nursery maid may picture the Princess alone 
in a big house with few attendants, silently amusing herself with 
her toy theatre and its wooden ballet-girls. 

A servant rummaging in one of the garrets of Buckingham 
Palace some years ago found a number of dolls which were dressed by 
Queen Victoria when she was a little girl. The discovery of this 
collection of old-fashioned dollies caused quite an excitement at 



46 CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PR/ N CESS 

Osborne, where the news was speedily sent. The Queen at 
once telegraphed to have the dolls all seated on chairs and sofas 
and photographed and the pictures sent down to her at once. She 
derived a great deal of satisfaction from these quaint memorials of 
her childhood. 

Some of the dolls had been made by the Queen herself when 
she was only the little Princess Victoria. The bodies were fashioned 
in the usual way and the regulation china head attached. Many of 
them, however, were the quaint jointed wooden dolls that few chil- 
dren of the present day have seen, but that their grandmothers 
remember. 

VARIETY OF DOLLS 

Many of the dolls, which are now in the Kensington Museum, 
in London, are dressed in old Flemish costumes, in which red and 
yellow predominate, and wear ponderous wooden shoes. There 
are six of these, four being dressed as girls and two as boys. But 
most of the English dolls are dressed to represent historical per- 
sonages, and some are named for friends of her Majesty's girlhood. 
Henry VIII. has a variety of counterfeit presentments, in one of 
which he is dressed in full armor made by fine stitches of silver 
thread, that give the appearance of steel. Queen Elizabeth was a 
favorite also, several dolls being dressed to represent her. Some 
ire in court costume, made with nicest detail, and others are in 
riding habits. 

A group composed of Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway and a 
figure representing Dr. Johnson show that the little Princess devel- 
oped at an early age the literary tastes that have been characteristic 
of her life. Shakespeare is dressed evidently after the well-known 
picture in his house at Stratford-on-Avon, and his wife wears the 
costume of that period. To prevent possibility of " mistaken 
identity," Ann Hathaway is written on the fine linen underclothes 
of that personage. 

The French dolls represent Napoleon Bonaparte, Empress 
Josephine and Marie Louise. The Russian dolls show the Czar's 



CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 47 

uniform of white broadcloth, gold-laced and corded, and various 
dazzling Court costumes. The headdress is of rich lace with strings 
of pearls. Dolls in Swiss and Italian costumes are numerous, and 
in every instance are faithful reproductions. 

All the dolls were supplied by Victoria with outfits for every 
possible occasion, informal and state, day and night. Each had 
real hair, golden or brown, which at that time was a startling 
novelty. 

Her Majesty permitted the publication of a book by a young 
English woman, called " Queen Victoria's Doll's," in which colored 
plates showed exactly how these infants of her childish years were 
dressed. It was stated at the time that, although the name Frances 
H. Low appeared on the title-page, the Queen's interest in her old 
friends was so strongly revived that she wrote much of the book 
herself. 

DAILY PROGRAM FOR THE PRINCESS 

The little Princess' day was passed as follows : She was called 
from her bed early and breakfasted at 8 o'clock in the morning- 
room of the palace, sitting beside her mother in a little rose- 
wood chair, with a table to match. A nurse standing beside her 
saw that she was sufficiently supplied with bread, milk and fruit. 
After breakfast she mounted her donkey for a ride around Kensing- 
ton Gardens, or walked for an hour or two, and then, from ten to 
twelve, " little Drina " received instructions from her mother. 
Then came a good romp through the palace with her nurse, whom 
she called " Boppy." At 2 o'clock the little Princess dined plainly 
at her mother's luncheon table. Lessons came afterward until 
4 o'clock, when she either went with her mother for a drive or spent 
the late afternoon in the gardens under the trees. Her mother 
dined at 7 o'clock, and the Princess supped at the same table from 
bread and milk. Then, after playing with her nurse, she was put 
to bed at 9 o'clock, her bed being placed beside that of her 
mother. The tastes of the little Princess were very simple. 
When asked once at Maidstone, where her mother had stopped to 



4 8 CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 

change horses, what refreshments she would like, she replied : " A 
small piece of stale bread." As one lady remarks : "Her bringing 
up was of the wisest and most simple fashion. It was healthful 
living, regularity in eating, sleeping and exercise. We may sum 
it up thus : plenty of exercise, simple food, plenty of air, of play, 
and of sleep." An occasional visit to Windsor to see her " Uncle 
King," and a few weeks at the seaside with her Uncle Leopold, 
were the only breaks in her childish life. When she was about 
eleven years old she paid a visit to the King, who was delighted 
with her "charming manners." In respect to this visit her grand- 
mother, at Coburg, wrote : " The little monkey must have pleased 
and amused him ; she is such a pretty, clever child." 

Even when an old woman the Queen retained the fondness for 
little things she used to love in her childhood. She always cut the 
pages of new books and magazines with a little ivory paper-knife 
that she used when she was a tiny Princess, and was very nervous 
and angry once, when the knife was mislaid, and she was obliged 
to travel from Buckingham Palace to Balmoral without it. When 
it was found a messenger followed with it on a special mission. 

In her doll's house days she was very fond of making tea, and 
her children and grandchildren had no greater treat than to pour tea 
from a tiny melon-shaped teapot of German silver, with a very short 
spout, and the inscription, " May 24, 1827," engraved on it. This 
relic of the Queen's early days shows much signs of wear, but 
throughout her life it was in use on very great family occasions. 

WARMTH OF JUVENILE FRIENDSHIP 

We may quote from another who saw the Princess in her early 
days, Leigh Hunt, the celebrated author : " We remember well 
the peculiar kind of personal pleasure it gave us to see the future 
Queen, the first time we ever did see her, coming up a cross path 
from the Bayswater gate with a little girl about her own age by 
her side, whose hand she was holding, as if she loved her. It 
brought to our minds the warmth of our own juvenile friendship, 



CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 49 

and made us fancy that she loved everything else that we had loved 
in like measure — books, trees, verses, Arabian tales, and the good 
mother who had helped to make her affectionate. A magnificent 
footman in scarlet came behind her, with the splendidest pair of 
calves in white stockings which we ever beheld. He looked some- 
how like a gigantic fairy personating truly for his little lady's 
sake the grandest kind of footman he could think of. And his 
calves he seemed to have made out of a couple of the biggest 
chaise-lamps in the possession of the godmother of Cinderella." 

The little Victoria was very fond of dancing, an enjoyment of 
which she never tired. Love for this pleasure continued with her 
as Princess and Queen. As a princess, indeed, she danced but 
little, but when, after marriage she began her happy home life, small 
dances at Buckingham Palace and at Windsor were of frequent 
occurrence. 

At the latter place the crimson drawing-room, overlooking the 
famous east terrace, was always kept in the most perfect order for 
dancing. The floor is of satin and tulip woods. The Queen 
learned from old books every kind of figure. She studied them 
out herself and often taught them to the ladies of her Court. It 
was noticeable that young as her Majesty was at the time, and full 
of youthful spirits, she seldom waltzed with anyone but the Prince 
Consort or a royal visitor. The quadrilles, then the fashionable 
dance, she would bestow upon her other guests. In later years 
she had a great appreciation of skirt-dancing as given by the 
younger members of her Court. 

The little Princess was not permitted to attend public worship 
in Kensington Church, for fear of attracting too much attention. 
Special religious services were conducted for her in the palace by 
her mother and her tutor. When visiting away from London she 
was taken to a village church and required to pay strict attention, 
so that when she reached home she could give her mother not only 
the text, but also the heads of the discourse. And those were the 
days of long and formal sermons. 



So CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 

The education of the Princess was conducted at first by her 
mother, with the help of Fraulein Lehzen, who at a later date was 
formally appointed her governess, and of whom she afterwards 
said, " I adored her, though I was greatly in awe of her." Her 
regular education began with her fifth year, when the Rev. George 
Davys, afterward bishop of Peterborough became her tutor. She 
was reared to speak in French and German, as well as in her native 
tongue. By the time she reached her iith year Italian, Latin, 
Greek, mathematics and music had been added to her studies. 
Sketching was one of her favorite occupations. 

King George IV. presented the Princess on her fourth birth- 
day with a superb token of remembrance, being a miniature portrait 
of himself richly set in diamonds. He also gave a State dinner 
party to the Duchess and her daughter. In the following year in 
response to a message from his Majesty, Parliament voted an 
annual grant of ^6,000 to the Duchess of Kent for the education 
of the young Princess, a very considerable sum, one would suppose 
for the imparting of knowledge to a child of five years of age. We 
may well doubt if the results corresponded very fully with the 
outlay. 

The Duchess of Kent was very solicitous for the education of 
her daughter, in view of the exalted station which she might some 
clay be called to assume. The little Princess, on the contrary, 
could not always see why she should work harder over her books 
and study more difficult subjects than her youthful friends. " What 
good is this? What good is that?" were questions she sometimes 
petulantly asked, but as a rule she was obedient and worked dili- 
gently in the pursuit of knowledge. Her governess made a rule 
that she should finish whatever she was doing before she began 
anything else. This rule applied even to her amusements. Once, 
when playing at haymaking, she flung down her little rake, and 
was running off to seek some other amusements, but she was made 
to come back and finish the haycock she had begun before she was 
allowed to go away. 



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CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 53 

One story of her school life is given by Bishop Wilberforce on 
the authority of her tutor. It describes vividly one of the most 
conspicuous and honorable features in her nature, her straightfor- 
ward, unswerving honesty. 

She had, child-like, been trifling over her lessons, which she 
was saying to her tutor in the presence of her governess, when the 
Duchess of Kent entered the room, and asked how the pupil was 
behaving". 

" She was a little troublesome once," answered the governess. 

"No, Lehzen, twice; don't you remember?" said the honest 
little Princess, touching her arm to call the incident to her attention. 

Another example of her willingness to acknowledge a fault is 
the following : Once she persisted in playing with a dog against 
which she had been cautioned. The animal made a snap at her 
hand, and when the cautioner expressed his fears that she had been 
bitten, she replied : " Oh, thank you ! thank you ! You're right, 
and I am wrong ; but he didn't bite me — he only warned me. I 
shall be careful in future." 

HER ATTAINMENTS IN EARLY YEARS 

She proved an apt scholar, and her attainments in early years 
reflected credit alike on her governesses and instructors, and on her 
own diligence and perseverance. At the age of eleven she could 
speak French and German with fluency, had some knowledge of 
Italian, and in Latin was a fair scholar, being able to read Virgil 
and Horace. Her Bible knowledge is mentioned as remarkable at 
that age ; while she was also receiving lessons on the British 
Constitution, laws, and politics. She displayed considerable 
talent for music and drawing. At the age of six she sang " God 
Save the King " before her royal relatives, and at nine could play 
the piano very nicely. 

The following incident is given as an illustration of the habits 
of strict economy and prudence enforced. The Princess had her 
allowance, and was never expected to exceed it. Once, at a bazaar 



54 CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 

at Tunbridge Wells, she had bought presents for her relations, and 
had spent all her money, when she remembered one more cousin, 
and seeing a box at half-a-crown, which would just suit him, 
requested the people to place it with the other purchases. The 
governess, however, said, " No ; you see the Princess has not got 
the money, and so of course cannot have the box." They then 
offered to lay the box aside for her, and the reply was, " Oh, well, 
if you will be so good." Next quarter-day Princess Victoria 
appeared riding on her donkey, before seven in the morning, paid 
for the box and carried it away. 

Concerning this story Mrs. Oliphant writes : " This reads like 
a story out of ' Sanford and Merton,' but the Princess Victoria 
came by her father's side of a lavish and largely spending race, and 
no doubt, on this account, the discipline under which she was 
trained became more severe." 

As illustrating the simple life of these early days,' it is stated 
that the Princess Victoria, with her half-sister Feodora, might not 
unfrequently be seen going to a Kensington tradesman, buying a 
hat or some other article desired, and returning home carrying it 
in her hand. 

HER MOTHERS GOOD SENSE 

In reading the records of the childhood days of the future 
Queen one is struck by its great simplicity and the marked good 
sense shown by the Duchess, her mother. Here, for example, is a 
glimpse afforded by Mr. Charles Knight of the Duchess and her 
daughter at Kensington : 

"In the early morning, when the sun was scarcely high enough 
to have dried up the dews of Kensington's green alleys, as I passed 
along the broad central walk, I saw a group on the lawn before the 
palace, which, to my mind, was a vision of exquisite loveliness. 

" The Duchess of Kent, and her daughter, whose years then 
numbered nine, are breakfasting in the open air — a single page 
attending upon them at a respectful distance — the matron looking on 
with eyes of love, whilst the 'fair soft English face' is bright with 



CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 55 

smiles. The world of fashion is not yet astir. Clerks and mechanics, 
passing onward to their occupation, are few ; and they exhibit 
nothing of that vulgar curiosity which I think is more commonly 
found in the class of the merely rich than in the ranks below them 
in the world's estimation. 

" What a beautiful characteristic it seemed to me of the training 
of this royal girl, that she should not have been taught to shrink 
from the public eye — that she should not have been burdened with 
a premature conception of her probable high destiny — that she 
should enjoy the freedom and simplicity of a child's nature — that 
she should not be restrained when she starts up from the breakfast- 
table and runs to gather a flower in the adjoining parterre — that 
her merry laugh should be as fearless as the notes of the thrush in 
the groves around her. I passed on and blessed her ; and I thank 
God that I have lived to see the golden fruit of such training." 

In her days as mother the Queen preserved the same sim- 
plicity of style in dressing her own children. In illustration of this 
the following- incident is told : 

" A fashionable lady went to Windsor Park at the hour when 
she understood royalty might be met. She was very anxious to 
see some of the royal family. She passed in one of the walks a 
lady and gentleman with two or three plainly-dressed children, but 
of these she took no notice. Farther on she encountered an old 
Scotch gardener, of whom she eagerly inquired if she had any 
chance of seeing the Queen in the park. His answer was, ' Weel, 
ye maun turn back and rin a good bit, for ye've passed her Majesty, 
the Prince, and the royal bairns.' Looking back she saw disap- 
pearing in the distance the group she had passed as ' too plain to 
be anybody,' and, as she bitterly said, ' I passed without as much 
as a look at them, or a loyal greeting.' " 

When Victoria was nine years old, Sir Walter Scott, according 
to a record in his diary, dined with the Duchess of Kent, and by 
Prince Leopold was presented " to little Princess Victoria and heir 
apparent to the house, as things now stand." " This little lady," he 



56 CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 

adds, " is educated with much care and watched so closely that no 
busy maid has a moment to whisper : ' You are heir of England. 1 
I suspect if we could dissect the little heart we should find that 
some pigeon or other bird of the air had carried the matter. She 
is fair, like the royal family." He was mistaken in his estimate 
of her premature knowledge of her destiny. Three years more 
passed before she became aware of her heirship to the crown. 

In speaking of the studies of the little royal maiden, some- 
thing should have been said of her singing, in which she acquitted 
herself admirably, singing with taste and sweetness. Her teacher 
was the famous Lablache. Her accomplishments as a dancer have 
been already mentioned, and she was an excellent archer. But of 
out-door exercises she was fondest of riding. Her uncle, the Duke 
of York, had presented her a donkey, of which she was very fond. 
Throughout life she was devoted to the animals that bore her, from 
her childhood's donkey to the pony which she rode on her latest 
Highland excursions. 

QUICKNESS AND READY WIT 

As regards the mental quickness and ready wit of the Princess, 
an interesting example has been preserved. On one occasion her 
teacher read to her the story of Cornelia, the mother of the 
Gracchi — famous Roman patriots — the account telling how the 
noble matron presented her sons to her proud lady visitors, who 
had asked to see her jewels, with the memorable words, " These 
are my jewels.'' 

" She should have said ' my Cornelians,' " replied the Princess, 
with witty readiness. 

The first grief which the Princess was old enough to feel with 
any depth of sorrow came from the death of the Duke of York. 
She was at this time in her eighth year, and, as she had ever expe- 
rienced great kindness and affection at the hands of her uncle, his 
loss affected her keenly. The Duke of York and the Duchess of 
Clarence were the two members of the royal family whom she most 



CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 57 

loved, and his death was her earliest great loss. At the time she 
was unconscious that his demise brought her one step nearer the 
throne, though this knowledge would scarcely have lessened her 
sorrow. 

Her earliest experience of the gayeties of Court life came in 
her tenth year, when at a drawing-room held during the season, 
she had an opportunity of observing how a queen but little older 
than herself was received with royal honors at the Court of George 
IV. This young Sovereign was Donna Maria da Gloria, Queen 
of Portugal. The two children had previously exchanged some 
formal State visits, but official etiquette did not admit of a close 
intimacy. 

HER FIRST DANCE 

The first occasion on which the Princess Victoria danced in 
public was at a juvenile ball given by the King to Donna Maria. 
The young Queen presented an appearance of great splendor, for 
her dress blazed with all the jewels of the Portuguese crown ; she 
was surrounded by her Court, and was led to the ball-room by the 
hand of the King himself. Little Victoria, who was simply dressec 
in white, was dazzled by so much magnificence, but, as a chroniclei 
of the scene remarks, "the elegant simplicity of the attire and 
manners of the British heiress formed a strong contrast to the 
glare and glitter around the precocious Queen. These royal young 
ladies danced in the same quadrille, and though the performance of 
Donna Maria was greatly admired, all persons of refined taste gave 
the preference to the modest graces of the English-bred Princess." 

The portraits of the Princess Victoria, executed during her 
infancy and childhood, are somewhat numerous. Sir William 
Beechey painted a picture in oil, representing the Duchess seated 
on a sofa upon which her young daughter stood beside her, and 
this painting is in the possession of the King of the Belgians. 
Turnerelli, the sculptor, executed an excellent bust of the Princess 
when she was in her third year, and in 1827, Mr. Behnes produced 
a marble bust, which is now in one of the corridors of Windsor 

4 



58 CHILDHOOD OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS 

Castle. It was justly regarded as one of the most beautiful speci- 
mens of sculpture ever exhibited in the British schools of art, the 
likeness being perfect, the features delicately portrayed, and the 
expression admirable. Mr. Fowler, an artist of Ramsgate, executed 
two portraits of the Princess, one in her ninth year. Mr. Westall, 
R. A., painted a trustworthy full-length portrait of the Princess as 
she appeared when in her twelfth year. 






CHAPTER III 

Froni Princess to Oueea 



N era of supreme importance came in the life of the youthful 
Princess when she first learned of the high dignity that 
seemed to await her. Fearing that the sweet modesty of 
childhood might be spoiled by a premature perception of the daz- 
zling prospects before her, the Duchess deemed it wise, in her 
earlier years, to withhold from her daughter the knowledge that 
she would probably become Queen of England. When, how- 
ever, she was about the age of twelve, circumstances occurred 
which indicated she should be informed of the dignity to which she 
would possibly be called. Various stories have been told as to how 
this was done ; but the following, having received the Queen's 
approval, may be taken as correct. It is given in a letter 
addressed to the Queen by her former governess, Baroness 
Lehzen : 

" I said to the Duchess of Kent that your Majesty ought to 
know your place in the succession. Her Royal Highness agreed 
with me, and I put the genealogical table into the historical book. 
When Mr. Davys (the Queen's instructor, afterwards the Bishop 
of Peterborough) was gone, the Princess Victoria opened, as usual, 
the book again, and seeing the additional paper, said, ' I never 
saw that before.' ' It was not thought necessary you should, Prin 
cess,' I answered. ' I see I am nearer the throne than I thought.' 
' So it is, madam,' I said. After some moments the Princess 
resumed: ' Now, many a child would boast; but they don't know 
the difficulty. There is much splendor, but there is more respon- 
sibility.' The Princess, having lifted up the forefinger of her right 
hand while she spoke, gave me that little hand, saying, ' I will be 

59 



6o 



FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 



good ! I understan-d now why you urged me so much to learn 
Latin. You told me Latin is the foundation of English grammar, 
and of all the elegant expressions, and I learned it as you wished ; 
but I understand all better now.' And the Princess gave me her 
hand, repeating, '/ will be good ! 

On the margin of this letter the Oueen herself wrote : * I 
cried much on learning it." 

The Duchess, fearinof that there was some danger that the 
girlish head of her daughter might be turned by the great future 
that appeared to await her, counselled the young princess in these 
words : 

" It is not you, but your future office and rank, which are 
regarded in the country You must so act as never to bring that 





FROM ETCHINGS MADE BY THE QUEEN 

office and that rank into disgrace or disrespect." And at another 
time the purpose of her careful training was thus explained : " I am 
anxious to bring you up as a good woman, and then you will be a 
good Queen also." How well the mother succeeded in this endeavor 
the history of Victoria's reign is sufficient evidence. 

When William IV. ascended the throne in 1830, there was but 
his one life between the Princess Victoria and the throne, which 
would be surely hers if she should live till his death, and he should 
have no other child. Parliament accordingly passed a bill provid- 
ing for the contingency of the throne becoming vacant before she 
should attain her majority, which would come at the age of eighteen. 



FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 61 

The Duchess of Kent was made her guardian, and Regent of the 
Kingdom in such an event, to be assisted by a Council of Regency. 
Provision was soon afterwards made for her education and main- 
tenance, and the proper support of the dignity of her position as 
heiress presumptive — ,£10,000 a year being voted, in addition to 
the previous annual grant of ,£6,000. 

The Princess Victoria's first appearance at Court during the 
William's reign was made at the celebration of Queen Adelaide's birth- 
day, on the 24th of February, 1831. The drawing-room held by 
her Majesty was stated to have been the most magnificent witnessed 
since that which signalized the presentation of the Princess Charlotte 
of Wales on the occasion of her marriage. The Princess Victoria 
stood on Queen Adelaide's left hand. Her dress was made entirely 
of articles made in the United King-dom. She wore a frock of 
English blonde over white satin and a pearl necklace, while a rich 
diamond agraffe fastened the Madonna braids of her fair hair at the 
back of her head. She was the object of interest and admiration on 
the part of all assembled. The scene was one of the most splendid 
ever remembered, and the future Queen of England contemplated all 
that passed with much dignity, but with evident enjoyment. " We 
can," writes Miss Tytler, "call up before us the figure in its girlish 
pure white dress, the soft, open face, the fair hair, the candid blue 
eyes, the frank lips, slightly apart, showing the white, pearly teeth." 

When King William prorogued his first Parliament an interest- 
ing circumstance occurred, which caused much enthusiasm amongst 
those who witnessed it. Queen Adelaide and the princesses wit- 
nessed the spectacle of the royal State procession. The people 
cheered the Queen lustily, but, forgetting herself, that gracious 
lady took the young Princess Victoria by the hand, led her to the 
front of the balcony, and introduced her to the happy and loyal 
multitude. In January, 1831, the Princess made her first appear- 
ance at the theatre, visiting Covent Garden, and thoroughly enter- 
ing into the pleasures of the children's entertainment provided. 



62 FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 

The Duchess of Kent was anxious that her daughter should 
know her own country ; therefore they traveled much in England, 
being everywhere received with warm enthusiasm. They visited 
the various watering places and the seats of the nobility, ako 
manufacturing centers. At Belper, in 1832, the Princess was shown 
over a cotton mill, and the mechanism minutely explained to her 
by Mr. Strutt, whose son, in 1856, was made a peer by the Queen. 

In the summer of 1833, the Duchess and her daughter spent 
three pleasant months at Norris Castle, in the Isle of Wight. 
They lived as privately as possible, and, unembarrassed by the 
trammels of society, they highly enjoyed the charming scenery of 
the island, taking long walks and excursions alone. One day they 
were seen by a tourist sitting near the tomb of the " Dairyman's 
Daughter," in Arreton Churchyard. The Princess was reading 
aloud, in a full, melodious voice, the touching tale of the Christian 
maiden. He turned away, but was soon afterwards told by the 
sexton that the pilgrims to that humble shrine were the coming 
Queen of England and her Duchess mother. 

They made many excursions from the castle in the yacht 
Emerald, visiting neighboring coast towns. While returning 
from one of these excursions the Princess made a narrow escape 
from death. The yacht ran afoul of the hulk of the Active, 
and her mainmast being sprung her sail and a piece of heavy wood 
were detached. The pilot, Mr. Saunders, quick as thought sprang 
to where the Princess was standing, lifted her in his arms to a more 
safe position further aft, and the next moment, crash ! came the 
topmast down where the Princess had originally stationed herself. 
But for the prompt action of Mr. Saunders she must have been 
crushed to death. 

Her Royal Highness bore herself with calmness while the 
event was passing, but, after fully perceiving the imminent danger 
from which she had escaped she burst into tears, and thanked her 
preserver with artless grace for his great presence of mind. The 
pilot was promoted to the rank of master, and had the honor, at a 



FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 63 

later time, of conveying Prince Albert in his vessel to England. 
On the death of Mr. Saunders the Queen made provision for his 
wife and family. 

The Princess had soon her first experience of a duty which 
she performed very often afterwards : — she had to open something 
On this occasion it was the Victoria Park, at Bath, which had 
the honor of her presence and official performance. 

FIRST EXPERIENCE OF A DUTY 

Public curiosity about the Princess was now roused, and every- 
one, from the King downwards, thought that the widowed mother 
ought not to keep her child so secluded. Parliament had voted 
a large sum for her education, and people wanted more fre- 
quently to see the State pupil, so to speak. Ramsgate, for instance, 
— to which the Duchess and her daughter wished to go quietly, as 
other people do to the seaside — made preparations to receive them 
like victorious heroes. There were triumphal arches and streets 
lined with people, but the Duchess and her little daughter, avoid- 
ing both, took a byway to a house privately prepared for their 
reception. Those who had an eye to the influence of royalty on 
shops and lodging-houses were disappointed. The illustrious visit- 
ors attended neither fashionable concerts nor public meetings, and 
they took their seats at church unostentatiously, and behaved just 
like other people. 

The next year, or two, were spent by the Princess Victoria in 
quiet study. No pains were spared to fit her for the high position 
to which it now seemed nearly certain she would be called. Like 
most young people, however, she was sometimes a little troublesome. 
She did not always feel in the mood for pianoforte practice, and 
she was one day told that there was no royal road to perfection, 
and that only by much practice could she become " mistress of the 
piano." The Princess at once closed the piano, locked it, and put 
the key in her pocket. " Now, you see, there is a royal way of 



64 FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 

becoming mistress of the piano !" she exclaimed. But, having had 
her little joke, she was soon persuaded to resume her practice. 

On another occasion also the young lady looked at things from 
a point of view different from those who then exercised authority 
over her. The French master having given her a narrative to trans- 
late into French, when she had finished her mother desired her to 
thank M. Grandineau for his lesson. " No, mamma," was the 
reply. " M. Grandineau should thank me, for I have taken the 
trouble to translate the story for him." 

PERPLEXITIES OF EDUCATION 

In illustrating the difficulties which the tender mother had to 
encounter about this time, Mrs. Oliphant tells how the Duchess of 
Kent was blamed, on the one hand, for keeping the young Princess 
out of the buzz of the Court, and on the other for taking her on 
little expeditions, in order that she should become acquainted with 
her country. " Her mother kept her child from all vulgar contact 
with the crowd — it was ' a rigorous seclusion ' ; she took her to see 
a beautiful cathedral or an historical house — it was 'an attempt at 
a royal progress' 1 Throughout all these difficulties and perplexi- 
ties, the good mother sought to steer her way conscientiously. 

The King and Queen appear to have been warmly attached to 
Victoria ; Queen Adelaide, the bereaved mother, writing thus to 
the Duchess of Kent: " My children are dead, but your child lives, 
and she is mine too." King William is said by Greville, and some 
other contemporary writers, to have been a little jealous of the 
popularity of the youthful Princess. He himself loved her and 
wished to see her often, but rather objected to the " royal prog- 
resses," as he called the tours made by the Duchess and her 
daughter. The Duchess of Kent, however, who possessed con- 
siderable firmness and resolution, quietly adhered to her purpose of 
training her daughter in the manner she felt to be necessary for her 
future position, 



FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 65 

The Duchess was doubtless well advised in preventing the 
youthful Princess from attaining too great familiarity with the 
social tone of the Court of William IV. That royal personage was 
by no means an estimable character, and little to be commended as 
were the Georges ; they, at least, had a much better idea of kingly 
decency and decorum than their successor, William. The King, 
however, by no means approved of the close seclusion of his niece, 
and, as we are told, much as he detested his ministers, he detested 
more the Duchess of Kent, who had not been sparing in her 
criticisms on the reception she had met from the royal family in 
England. 

The Duchess had applied for a suite of apartments for her 
own use in Kensington Palace, and had been refused by the King. 
She appropriated the rooms, notwithstanding the denial. The 
King informed her publicly that he neither understood nor would 
endure conduct so disrespectful to him. 

This, though said loudly and publicly, was only the mutter- 
ing of a storm which broke next day. It was the royal birthday, 
and the King had invited a hundred people to dinner. 

When replying to the speech in which his health had been pro- 
posed, the King burst forth in a bitter tirade against the Duchess. 

"I trust in God," he exclaimed, "that I may have the satisfac- 
tion of leaving the royal authority on my death to the personal 
exercise of that young lady (pointing to the Princess), the heiress 
presumptive to the crown, and not in the hands of a person now 
near me, who is surrounded by evil advisers, and who is herself 
incompetent to act with propriety in the station in which she would 
be placed. 

" I have no hesitation in saying that I have been insulted, 
grossly and continually insulted, by that person, but I am deter- 
mined to endure no longer a course of behavior so disrespectful 
to me." 

I he King particularly complained of the manner in which the 
Princess had been prevented from attending at Court by her mother. 



66 FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 

" For the future," he said, " I shall insist and command that the 
Princess do upon all occasions appear at my Court, as it is her duty 
to do." 

One day during her first visit to the Royal Lodge (Windsor 
Park), King William entered the drawing room, holding his niece 
by the hand. The band was playing in an adjoining conservatory. 

"Now, Victoria," said his Majesty, "the band is in the next 
room, and shall play any tune you please. What shall it be ? " 
" Oh, uncle King," quickly replied the Princess, " I should like 
'God Save the King.'" Another time his Majesty asked her what 
she had enjoyed most during her stay in Windsor. " The drive I 
took with you, uncle King," was the answer, the King having him- 
self driven her in his pony carriage. 

The loving anxiety felt for the training of her daughter by the 
Duchess of Kent, of whose tender solicitude and watchful care we 
have spoken, was shared by another, far away in Germany, who 
carefully watched the rearing of the Princess. This was her grand- 
mother, the Dowager Duchess of Coburg, who wrote, about the 
time of the death of Georee IV. : 

" God bless Old England, where my beloved children live, and 
where the sweet Blossom of May may one day reign ! May God, 
yet, for many years, keep the weight of a crown from her young 
head, and let the intelligent, clever child grow up to girlhood be- 
fore this dangerous grandeur devolves upon her." And again, on 
her grandchild's birthday, she wrote : " My blessings and good 
wishes for the day which gave you the sweet Blossom of May. 
May God preserve and protect the valuable life of that lovely 
flower from all the dangers that will beset her mind and heart." 

It may not be amiss, at this point in our narrative, to relate 
some anecdotes showing the native kindness of heart of the Prin- 
cess in her girlhood days. On one occasion, when at Tunbridge 
Wells, she heard of a poor actress whose husband had died, leaving 
her in the deepest poverty and distress. Touched by the poor 
woman's trouble, the Princess resolved to give her ten pounds from 



FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 67 

her own pocket money, and managed to coax her mother to give 
her another ten pounds for the purpose. With the twenty pounds 
she called on the widow, expressed her sympathy with her, and pre- 
sented the money. Afterwards, when she came to the throne, she 
endowed the poor woman with an annuity of forty pounds per 
annum. 

Another beautiful story is told of a poor widow who, placed in 
charge of a lighthouse on the south coast of the Mersey, had re- 
solved to devote the receipts of one day in the year — in the visit- 
ing season, when she usually received a number of small gifts — to 
the missionary cause. On the day fixed upon, a lady in widow's 
garb and a girl came to see the lighthouse. Sympathy in misfor- 
tune led to conversation, and before the visitors left a sovereign 
was handed to the poor widow. She had never contemplated so 
large a gift, and a conflict arose as to putting the whole of it in the 
missionary box. By-and-by she compromised, it is said, and put in 
half-a-crown. But she could not sleep that night ; conscience was 
uneasy ; she had not fulfilled her promise ; so she. rose from her 
bed, took out the half-a-crown, and put in the sovereign. A few 
days afterwards, to her great astonishment, she received a letter 
from the widow lady, enclosing twenty pounds from herself and 
five pounds from her daughter, these being persons of no less con- 
sequence than the Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria. 

There is another story, possibly apocryphal, but not out of 
tone with the character of the young Princess She was in a jewel- 
ler's shop, making some purchase, when she observed a young lady 
selecting a gold chain. One chain seemed to please her very- 
much, but, with a sigh, she said she could not afford it, and bought 
a cheaper one. After the young lady had left the shop, the Prin- 
cess made some inquiries, and then, paying for the chain which had 
pleased the young lady, ordered both chains to be sent home to 
her. In the packet Princess Victoria placed her own card, writing 
thereon a few words in which she commended her prudence and 



68 FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 

self-denial, and requested her to accept the chain originally selected 
as a present from Victoria. 

There is told still another story, of different character. While 
on a visit to Wentworth House, the seat of Earl Fitzwilliam, the 
Princess was walking in the garden after a wet night. An old 
gardener saw her when on the point of descending a sloping piece 
of lawn, and, not knowing her, called out : — 

'Be careful, Miss; it's slape." (Yorkshire for "slippery.") 

" Slape ! " was the reply. " What's slape ? " 

" Very slippery, Miss," responded the gardener. 

" Oh ! that's all. Thank you," she said, and continued down the 
slope. In a moment her feet slipped and down she tumbled. As 
the gardener ran to pick her up, he said : 

" That's slape, Miss." 

"Yes," she replied. " I shall never forget the word slape" 

1 here was an old soldier-servant of her father, called Hillman, 
who had a very delicate daughter. The Princess often went to see 
her, and when she became Queen she did not forget her in the 
excitement of a new life. She sent a lady of her houshold to the 
sick girl with the gift of a Book of Psalms, marked by her Majesty 
at the days on which she read them herself, and with the book a 
marker bearing an embroidered dove — the emblem of peace— on it, 
the work of her own royal hands. The girl showed those tokens of 
remembrance to her clergyman with tears. 

The Princess was trained to be courteous and affable to high 
and low alike. One day, when walking near Malvern, where she 
and her mother were staying, she was running on with her little 
dog in advance of her mother and governess. Overtaking a peasant 
girl of her own age, neatly dressed, and probably wishing to enter 
into conversation with her, she said : 

" My dog is very tired. Will you carry him, please? " 
The good-natured child, ignorant of the rank of the speaker, 
took up the dog, and walked along for some time by the side of 
the Princess, the girls chatting merrily together. At last she said : 






FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 69 

" I am tired now, and can't carry your dog any longer." 

V Indeed ! " the Princess said. " Impossible ! You have only 
carried him a little way." 

" Quite far enough," the girl replied. " Besides, I am going to 
my aunt's ; and if your dog must be carried, why not carry him 
yourself ? " 

" And who is your aunt ? " 

"Mrs. Johnstone, the miller's wife." 

" And where does she live ? " 

" In that little white house at the bottom of the hill." 

As they talked they stood still, which gave the Duchess of 
Kent and the governess time to come up. 

" Oh, I should like to see your aunt," the Princess said. " I 
will go with you. Let us run down the hill together." 

" No, no, Princess," the governess said, taking her hand ; " you 
have talked long enough with this little girl, and now the Duchess 
wishes you to walk with her." 

At the word " Princess " the other child blushed with confusion ; 
but she was kindly thanked by the Duchess for her trouble, and 
received a present of half-a-crown. She curtseyed her thanks, ran 
off to her aunt's, and related her adventure. The half-crown was 
afterwards framed and hung up as a memento of her meeting with 
the future Queen. 

As years went on the "royal progresses" were continued, the 
Duchess and her daughter visiting some section of the country an- 
nually. They spent the winter of 1834 at St. Leonards, and here 
again the life of the Princess was in danger. While she and her 
mother were driving between Hastings and St. Leonards, the horses 
became restive and ran away. The spot was one between the cliffs 
and the sea that rendered such an adventure very dangerous. The 
unmanageable horses might easily have hurled the carriage against 
the rocks, or have flung it into the sea. A gentleman, Mr. Peckham 
Meiklethwaite, who was near at hand, rushed to the rescue, seized 
the horses, and, with the aid of others, brought them to a stand. 



7 o FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 

For his readiness and courage, and the value of his service, 
Victoria made him a baronet on her accession to the throne. 

After the return to Kensington Palace the Princess suffered 
from a severe attack of illness. For some time preceding her fif- 
teenth birthday she looked pale and languid, and the violent 
changes of temperature subjected her to the only serious indis- 
position she had hitherto experienced. She soon recovered her 
health, however, and was able to accompany King William and 
Queen Adelaide to the Grand Musical Festival in Westminster 
Abbey, when she was greeted with enthusiasm and affection by the 
loyal crowds which had assembled on the occasion. 

In 1835 the Duchess and her daughter visited Burghley House, 
the seat of the Marquis of Exeter. Here three hundred noble 
guests had the pleasure of seeing their future Queen, and the 
Princess opened the ball, dancing with Lord Exeter. After that 
one dance she withdrew and went to bed. 

an American's description of the princess 

The Ascot races of June, 1835, were witnessed by a brilliant 
gathering. On the principal day the Princess Victoria made her 
first appearance on a race-course with the royal family. She was 
seen there, in company with Queen Adelaide, by the American 
writer, N. P. Willis, who thus put on record his opinion of her 
appearance : 

" In one of the intervals I walked under the King's stand, 
and saw her Majesty the Queen and the young Princess Victoria 
very distinctly. They were leaning over the railing, listening to a 
ballad-singer, and seeming to be as much interested and amused 
as any simple country-folk would be. The Princess is much better- 
looking than any picture of her in the shops, and for the heir to 
such a crown as that of England, quite unnecessarily pretty and 
interesting." 

Carlyle, in a private letter — written in 1838 — pictures the 
young Queen in something of his usual quaint style : " Going 



FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 71 

through the Green Park yesterday, I saw her little Majesty taking 
her departure for Windsor. I had seen her another day at Hyde 
Park Corner coming in from the daily ride. She is decidedly a 
pretty-looking little creature ; health, clearness, graceful timidity, 
looking out from her young face, ' frail cockle on the black 
bottomless deluges.' One could not help some interest in her, 
[situated as mortal seldom was." 

Similar testimonies to the prettiness of the Princess are 
numerous — many of them, very likely, inspired by loyalty rather 
than conviction. Greville, speaking of her appearance at the ball, 
given in 1839 to tne little Queen of Portugal, is less complimentary. 
" It was pretty enough," he says, "and I saw for the first time our 
little Victoria. Our little Princess is a short, plain-looking child, 
and not near so good-looking as the Portuguese." 

THE CONFIRMATION OF THE PRINCESS 

On the 30th of August, 1835, tne Princess was confirmed by 
the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishop of London, 
the ceremony taking place in the Chapel Royal, St. James'. The 
King and Queen and some other members of the royal family were 
present. The scene was a touching one, the Princess exhibiting 
strong marks of sensibility during the pathetic exhortation in 
which the Archbishop spoke of the great responsibility attaching 
to her exalted station. When he reminded her of the necessity of 
looking up to the King of Kings for counsel and support in the 
trials that awaited her, her composure gave way, tears flowed from 
her eyes, and at length, overcome by emotion, she laid her head 
upon her mother's shoulder and sobbed aloud. 

In May, 1836, there came to visit "Aunt Kent and Cousin 
Victoria " at Kensington, two young German Princes, Ernest and 
Albert, the latter being the one whose life afterwards was to be so 
closely twined with that of his fair young cousin. Albert was three 
months younger than Victoria, and almost from the first his grand- 
mother hoped he would become husband of the Queen of England. 



72 FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 

It is said his nurse used to talk to him of "his little bride in Eng- 
land, the sweet Mayflower." The cousins met for the first time 
when the Duke of Saxe Coburgcame with his two sons to London. 

" What a peep at fairyland that must have been," one author 
writes, " when in the blossoming May the two who were to be 
eternally united met for the first time ! The beautiful gardens full 
of bloom and sweetness , the fair young Princess in the quaint, 
old palace, waiting, as it were, for the destined knight ; the sunshine 
and shadow ; the perfume and melody surrounding her ! " 

But the visit was not all an idyl. True, the Prince accom- 
panied the Princess in her songs, and aided her in her drawings ; 
but he had to attend a King's levee, which he found " very fatiguing, 
but interesting ; " also to dine with the King and Queen, and 
attend a concert which lasted till two in the morning. Then there 
was a drawing-room, where Victoria stood beside the Queen, and 
he saw nearly two thousand persons pass by. This was followed 
by a dinner, very long and very late, where the Prince, used 
to simple German habits and early hours, " had some hard battles to 
fight against sleepiness." There was also a splendid fancy ball at 
Kensington, where the Prince had to stay up till four o'clock in the 
morning. In addition there was much-visiting and sight-seeing, and 
Ernest and Albert were probably glad enough when their four 
weeks' visit came to an end. 

In the following year the Princess Victoria came of age — at 
eighteen English sovereigns are declared of age. There were 
great rejoicings. The 24th of May was observed as a general holi- 
day. In the early hours of morning bands serenaded the Princess, 
and the day closed with a grand State ball at St. James' Palace, 
where, for the first time, the Princess took precedence of her 
mother. This was, however, merely a formal and ceremonial pre- 
cedence, for we read that in every detail of home and private life 
the mother was as implicitly obeyed and as tenderly loved as ever 
she had been. The Princess danced first with Lord Fitzalan, 
who became Duke of Norfolk, and afterwards with the Austrian 



FROM PRINCESS TO QUEEN 73 

Prince Esterhazy. The latter was then making a brilliant figure in 
society, not because of his merits, but because he sparkled with 
diamonds literally from head to foot. They were even upon the 
heels of his boots. In the evening the metropolis was brilliantly 
illuminated, and the event was celebrated by public rejoicing in 
many parts of the country. 

The Princess received many beautiful presents — amongst 
others a magnificent pianoforte, worth two hundred guineas, from 
the King. On the following day numerous addresses were 
presented from various cities, towns and societies. 

On May 29, 1837, she made her last appearance at Court as 
Princess Victoria, and shortly afterwards her final appearance in 
public as heiress presumptive at the charity ball given at the Opera 
House for the benefit of the Spitalfields weavers. Her life as 
Princess thus closed with a charitable act, and she had the satisfac- 
tion of knowing that the terrible sufferings which afflicted the poor 
in the East End were soon afterward alleviated. 

The King and Queen had not been able to attend the birthday 
ball of the Princess. He was then lying on a bed of sickness, and 
his wife in close attendance upon him. In less than a month from 
that day death entered the King's palace and William IV. "was 
gathered to his fathers." The Princess Victoria had become Queen 
Victoria, Monarch of the United Kingdom. 



CHAPTER IV 

Accession and Coronation 

AT midnight of June 20, 1837, the Princess Victoria was happily 
asleep in her bed at Kensington Palace, her mind free from 
all dreams of royalty and queenliness, and if any dreams 
came to her in that sweet slumber they were those due to girlish 
thoughts and a wholesome young life. But events were hastening 
which would rouse her suddenly to fresh thoughts and a new life. 
Two hours passed, during which, in a room of Windsor Castle, a 
dying King lay breathing his last. Suddenly on the closed doors 
of Kensington Palace came a furious knocking, much, as it would 
seem, to waken the dead, though no echo of it reached the sleep- 
ing Princess in her distant chamber. It was the Archbishop of 
Canterbury and the Lord Chamberlain of England, coming in 
headlong haste to inform the slumbering-- maiden that she was no 
longer a Princess, but a Queen. King William III. had passed 
from life at twelve minutes after two of that memorable morning 
of the 20th of June, and, as custom demanded, they sped to be the 
first to say : " The King is dead ; long live the Queen ! " 

What followed is graphically told by Miss Wynn, in her 
" Diary of a Lady of Quality:" 

"They knocked, they rang, they thumped for a considerable 
time before they could rouse the porter at the gate ; they were 
again kept waiting in the courtyard, then turned into one of the 
lower rooms, where they seemed to be forgotten by everybody. 
They rang the bell, and desired that the attendant of the Princess 
Victoria might be sent to inform her Royal Highness that they re 
quested an audience on business of importance. 

74 






ACCESSION AND CORONATION 



75 



After another delay and another ringing to inquire the cause, 
the attendant was summoned, who stated that the Princess was in 
such a sweet sleep that she could not venture to disturb her. Then 
they said, ' We are come on business of State to the Queen, and 
even her sleep must give way to that' It did ; and to prove that 
she did not keep them waiting, in a few moments she came into the 

room in a loose white 



T 



file, ja&e^ /U&S.O J 
S&ettAS ^CsUtents^- \€ed&*H*s6x*&ccsx>rts tee* 4Z& y&[e/&mer 



nig-ht-eown and shawl, 
her night-cap thrown 
off and her hair falling 
upon her shoulders, 
her feet in si 



Jr/Ae^&ci^ steovxS pistes smr£ sfe- T***£ (*^¥n*f >*f<r 
JVAS ■&&*£ -ys**- ■mtH*£-&^ez-€&&!: ttU&ff&CC 



slippers, 
tears in her eyes, but 
perfectly collected and 
dignified." 

It is said that the 
Queen's first words, 
turning to the Primate, 
were : "I beg your 
Grace to pray for me ;" 
which he did. 

The next thingwas 
to write to the 
widowed Queen Ade- 
laide a kind letter, in 
reply to a request that 
she might stay at 
Windsor until after 
the funeral. It was addressed to " Her Majesty the Queen." 
Someone remarked that it should be directed to the Queen Dowager. 
" I am aware of that," was the reply of her who was a lady as well as 
a Queen ; "but I will not be the first to remind her of her altered 
position." The same kind instinct was shown by another act of 
the Sovereign. When she was going to Windsor to visit "Aunt 



INVITATION TO THE CORONATION 



tyfs^k 



76 ACCESSION AND CORONATION 

Adelaide," she directed that the flag on the castle, which was 
half-mast high from respect to the late King, should not be drawn 
up on her arrival. 

The case was this, as Carlyle well put it. A girl at an age 
when, in ordinary circumstances, she would hardly be trusted to 
choose a bonnet for herself, was called upon to undertake respon- 
sibilities from which an archangel might have shrunk. Naturally, 
everyone was anxious to know how she would act. This was seen 
at her first Privy Council, held at eleven o'clock on the day of 
which we are speaking. "Never," said Greville, "was anything 
like the first impression she produced, or the chorus of praise and 
admiration which is raised about her manner and behavior. She 
went through the first ceremonies with perfect calmness and self- 
possession, but at the same time with a graceful modesty and pro- 
priety particularly interesting and ingratiating." The Duke of 
Wellington told the Clerk of the Council that if she had been his 
own daughter, he could not have desired to see her perform her 
part better. 

THE QUEEN'S FIRST SPEECH 

The girl-Queen, who was plainly dressed, and in mourning, 
bowed on entering the room, and then sat down upon the arm-chair 
or extemporized throne that had been placed at the head of the 
table. She at once began to read in a clear and distinct voice, 
without any embarrassment, the following speech : — 

" The severe and afflicting loss which the nation has sustained 
by the death of his Majesty, my beloved uncle, has devolved upon 
me the duty of administering the government of this Empire. This 
awful responsibility is imposed upon me so suddenly, and at so early 
a period of my life, that I should feel myself utterly oppressed by 
the burden were I not sustained by the hope that Divine Provi- 
dence, which has called me to this work, will give me strength for 
the performance of it, and that I shall find in the purity of my 
intentions, and in my zeal for the public welfare, that support and 
those resources which usually belong to a more mature age and to 




ST. JAMES' PALACE 
One of the ancient Palaces of the English Kings. It contains a beautiful Roval Chapel 




THEl ROYAL CHAPEL IN ST. JAMES' PALACE 
Where many of the christening of Royal Children take place 



ACCESSION AND CORONATION 79 

long experience. I place my firm reliance on the wisdom of 
Providence, and upon the loyalty and affection of my people. I 
esteem it also a peculiar advantage that I succeed to a sovereign 
whose constant regard for the rights and liberties of his subjects, 
and whose desire to promote the amelioration of the laws and 
institutions of this country, have rendered his name the object of 
general attachment and veneration. Educated in England, under 
the tender and enlightened care of a most affectionate mother, I 
have learned from my infancy to respect and love the constitution 
of my native country. It will be my unceasing study to maintain 
the reformed religion, as by law established, securing, at the same 
time, to all the full enjoyment of religious liberty. And I shall 
steadily protect the rights and promote to the utmost of my power 
the happiness and welfare of all classes of my subjects." 

A TRAIT OF THE QUEEN'S PERSONAL CHARACTER 

After the Queen had read her speech and taken and signed 
the oath for the security of the Church of Scotland, the privy 
councilors were sworn ; the two royal Dukes first by themselves. 
''And," says Greville, "as these old men, her uncles, knelt before 
her, swearing allegiance and kissing her hand, I saw her blush up 
to the eyes, as if she felt the contrast between their civil and their 
natural relations ; and this was the only sign of emotion that she 
evinced. Her manner to them was very graceful and engaging ; 
she kissed them both, and rose from her chair and moved towards 
the Duke of Sussex, who was farthest from her, and too infirm to 
reach her. She seemed rather bewildered at the multitude of men 
who were sworn, and who came one after the other to kiss her 
hand ; but she did not speak to anybody, nor did she make the 
slightest difference in her manner, or show any in her countenance 
to any individual of any rank, station, or party." 

When taking- the oath about the Church of Scotland, a trait of 
the Queen's personal character peeped out. Recapitulating the 
Act of Parliament which used the old-fashioned word intituled, her 



8° ACCESSION AND CORONATION 

Majesty pronounced it as it was spelt, upon which, Viscount Mel- 
bourne, who stood beside her, whispered: "Entitled, please your 
Majesty." The little lady drew herself up, and darting a swift 
glance of surprise and indignation at her First Lord of the Treasury, 
re-cast her eyes upon the paper before her, repeating, with a raised 
voice and perceptible emphasis : "An Act intituled." 

An hour after the Privy Council there was another Council : 
that of the Cabinet Ministers. Over this the royal young lady 
presided with as much ease as if she had been doing nothing else 
all her life. Pale and fatigued, she went at its conclusion to her 
mother, and throwing herself on that loving breast, burst into tears. 
When soothed and quieted, she said : " I can scarcely believe I am 
Queen of England; but I suppose I am." 

The mother answered : " You know you are, my love. The 
scene you have just left must have assured you." 

Smiling, the Queen said: " I suppose I shall grow used to it." 
Then, half-earnestly, half-playfully : " Since it is so, and your little 
daughter is Sovereign of this great country, I shall make you the 
object of my first royal experiment. Your Queen commands you, 
dear mamma, to leave her quite alone for two hours." 

The Princess Victoria was formally proclaimed Queen of Great 
Britain and Ireland on the the 21st of June, from St. James' 
Palace. Long before the hour fixed for the ceremony all the 
avenues to the palace were crowded, every balcony, window, and 
elevated position being filled with spectators. The space in the 
quadrangle, in front of the window at which her Majesty was to 
appear, was crowded with ladies and gentlemen, and even the para- 
pets above were filled with people. The great Irish agitator, 
O'Connell, in the front line opposite the windows, attracted con- 
siderable attention by waving his hat and cheering most vehe- 
mently. 

The guns in the park fired a salute at ten o'clock, and immedi- 
ately afterwards the Queen made her appearance at the window of 
the Presence Chamber. 



ACCESSION AND CORONATION 81 

She stood between Lords Melbourne and Lansdowne, and was 
received with deafening cheers. Her mother also, who was close 
behind her, received most cordial plaudits. The Queen looked 
very fatigued and pale, but returned the repeated cheers with which 
she was greeted with remarkable ease and dignity. She was dressed 
in deep mourning, with a white tippet, white cuffs, and a border of 
white lace under a small black bonnet, which was placed far back 
on her head, exhibiting her light hair in front simply parted over 
her forehead. The Queen and the Duchess of Kent regarded the 
proceedings with much interest. As her Majesty appeared at the 
window the band of the Royal Guards struck up the national 
anthem. On its conclusion, Sir William Woods, acting for the 
Garter King-at-Arms, and accompanied by the Duke of Norfolk as 
Earl Marshal of England, read aloud the proclamation containing 
the official announcement of the death of King William IV., and 
of the consequent accession of Queen Victoria to the throne of 
the United Kingdom f Great Britain and Ireland. 

About three weeks after being proclaimed, her Majesty left 
Kensington, and took up her residence in Buckingham Palace. 
Four days later she went in State to prorogue Parliament. Her 
carriage was drawn by eight* cream-colored horses — "the creams" 
so dear to the London populace. This was preceded by the 
Marchalmen, a party of Yeomen of the Guard, in State costumes, 
and runners. On arriving at the House of Lords, she was saluted 
by a battalion of the Guards, and while their band played the 
national anthem she was conducted to a splendid new throne. 
When she had taken her seat, the royal mantle of purple velvet 
was placed on her Majesty's shoulders by the Lords-in-waiting. 

It was certainly not on account of any deficiency in raiment 
that this addition was made, for the Queen had already on a crim- 
son velvet robe trimmed with gold and ermine, and underneath a 
white silk kirtle also embroidered with gold. She wore a stomacher 
ablaze with diamonds. On her arms were diamond bracelets, and 
on the left one the badge of the Order of the Garter, 



82 ACCESSION AND CORONATION 

Then the Queen began to read her speech in a voice which 
Fanny Kemble, the great actress, who was present, tells us, " was 
exquisite. Nor have I ever heard any spoken words more musical 
in their gentle distinctness than ' My Lords and Gentlemen,' which 
broke the breathless silence of the illustrious assembly whose gaze 
was riveted on that fair flower of royalty. The enunciation was 
as perfect as the intonation was melodious, and I think it impossible 
to hear a more excellent utterance than that of the Queen's English 
by the English Queen." 

The speech ended with an emphatic commendation of the 
proposal to diminish capital punishment, and a promise that she 
would endeavor to strengthen and improve the civil and ecclesias- 
tical institutions of the country. The Duke of Sussex, with tears 
rolling down his aged cheeks, could not refrain from softly 
exclaiming as, with deep feeling, the- Queen thus struck the key- 
note of her reign, " Beautiful ! beautiful ! " 

HER FIRST GREAT PRIME MINISTER 

That this ceremony, following as it did so many others, was a 
great strain is proved by the fact that on returning to the robing- 
room the young Sovereign fainted. Indeed, the Duchess of Kent 
had dreaded the effect of so much excitement, and had endeavored 
to persuade her not to prorogue Parliament in person ; but she 
scorned the idea of excitement, and told her mother that it was " a 
word she did not like to hear." 

During the next two months there was a round of receptions, 
drawing-rooms, concerts, balls. At her Majesty's first soiree two 
thousand gentlemen were present. The crush was so great that 
orders and decorations were torn off and diamond buckles lost from 
shoes. 

After her accession the Queen had to face many difficulties, 
but she was fortunate in having- a Prime Minister like Lord Mel- 
bourne to explain her official duties. He was in his fifty-eighth 
year, and inspired his royal mistress with a great respect for his 



ACCESSION AND CORONATION 83 

ability and experience of public life. It is said that he began his 
instruction by reading to her the story of Solomon asking for 
wisdom when told to request that which he most desired. 

For so young a Sovereign her conscientiousness was great. 
The Prime Minister used to say that he would rather have ten 
kings to manage than one queen, for he could not present a single 
document for signature without her Majesty asking many questions 
about it, and frequently saying that she would have to take time to 
consider. From the first she let him know her intention in this 
matter. It was one day when he said that her Majesty need not 
scruple to sign a certain paper without examination, as it was not a 
matter of "paramount importance." 

"But it is for me," she replied, "a matter of paramount 
importance whether or not I attach my signature to a document 
with which I am not thoroughly satisfied." 

Not less firm and conscientious was the reply of the youthful 
monarch when the same adviser urged the expediency of some 
measure : " I have been taught, my lord, to judge between what is 
right and what is wrong ; but expediency is a word I neither wish 
to hear nor to understand." 

ATTENTION TO RELIGIOUS DUTIES 

The following story is of interest, as showing the young 
Queen's strict adherence to the duty of discriminating between her 
religious and secular duties : Late one Saturday evening, after she 
had gone to Windsor, one of her Ministers arrived at the Castle. 

" I have brought down for your Majesty's inspection some 
documents of great importance. But as I shall be obliged to 
trouble you to examine them in detail, I will not encroach on the 
time of your Majesty to-night, but will request your attention 
to-morrow morning." 

" To-morrow morning ! To-morrow is Sunday, my lord." 

" True, your Majesty, but business of the State will not admit 
of delay." 



8 4 ACCESSION AND CORONATION 

" I am aware of that, and, as your lordship could not have 
arrived earlier at the palace to-night, I will, if the papers are of 
such pressing importance, attend to their contents to-morrow." 

Next morning the Queen and Court went to church, the noble 
lord accompanying them. The sermon was on " The Christian Sab- 
bath, its duties and obligations." After service the Queen inquired : 

" How did your lordship like the sermon ? " 

" Very much indeed, your Majesty," was his reply, although 
he was rather uncomfortable. 

" Well, then, I will not conceal from you that last night I sent 
the clergyman the text from which he preached. I hope we shall 
be improved by the sermon." 

After this nothing was naturally said about the State papers 
that day. At night, before retiring, the Queen said : 

" To-morrow morning, my lord, at any hour you please — as 
early as seven, my lord, if you like — we will look into these 
papers." 

" I could not think of intruding upon your Majesty at so early 
an hour — nine o'clock will be quite soon enough." And so it was 
the State business was attended to, and the Minister returned to 
London in time for his duties. 

"The Queen," says Miss Yonge, "took up her abode for the 
chief part of the year in Buckingham Palace, using beautiful Wind- 
sor Castle for her country home, and with her mother always by 
her side. Every one was eager to see their young Sovereign, and 
very kindly did she gratify them, always bearing in mind the say- 
ing of old Louis XVIII., that the politeness of royalty is punctual- 
ity. The custom was that the royal family should parade on Sun- 
day afternoons on the broad terrace at Windsor, and the public be 
admitted to see them, and eagerly did they avail themselves of the 
opportunity ; but this is one of the many things that have been put 
an end to by the greater facility and cheapness of traveling, since 
such crowds would have thronged by train to enjoy the spectacle as 
to destroy all comfort even for themselves, and cause confusion." 



ACCESSION AND CORONATION 85 

On November 9th came a memorable day for London, when 
the Queen paid a State visit to the city, and was present at the 
inaugural banquet of the Lord Mayor. This was an elaborate cere- 
mony, of which we must be excused from giving the particulars, 
since grander and more important ceremonies remain to be de- 
scribed. We trust it will be of more interest to the reader to be 
told an example of the Queen's kindness of heart. 

The Duke of Wellington brought the death-warrant of a 
soldier for her Majesty's signature. It was her first dread act of 
the kind, and she shrank from the duty. With tears in her eyes 
she asked : 

" Have you nothing to say on behalf of this man ? " 

"Nothing," replied the Iron Duke; "he has deserted three 
times." 

" Oh, your Grace, think again ! " 

"Well, your Majesty, he is certainly a bad soldier; but there 
was somebody who spoke as to his good character. He may be a 
good fellow in private life." 

" Oh, thank you ! " exclaimed the Queen, as she dashed off the 
words, " Pardoned, Victoria," on the awful parchment. 

Owing to her natural shrinking from this unpleasant duty, an 
Act of Parliament was passed authorizing the signature to be per- 
formed by commission. 

COURT ETIQUETTE 

The fact that Court etiquette and antiquated precedent were 
at this time considered of so much importance caused her Majesty's 
life to be more or less a laborious parade. Even her mother could 
not enter the Queen's room without a special summons. This was 
to avoid giving cause for suspicion of undue influence. When her 
old governess, the Duchess of Northumberland, came to visit her, 
the officials agreed that the royal maiden must receive her sitting. 
This, however, was too much for the girl's warm heart. She could 
not help running to meet the Duchess, throwing her arms round 
her neck, and kissing her with the old warmth. 



86 ACCESSION AND CORONATION 

During the first months of the reign, much worry, which is 
more trying than work, was caused by both Whigs and Tories 
claiming the Sovereign for their own. It was difficult work to 
show by every word and act that she understood too well the duties 
of a constitutional monarch to favor any party. All that the Whigs 
could say was that she did not turn them out of office when she 
became Queen. What the Tories replied to this may be seen by 
the following, which someone inscribed on the window-pane of an 
mn at Huddersfield : 

"The Queen is with us," Whigs insulting say, 

"For when she found us in, she let us stay." 
It may be so ; but give me leave to doubt 
How long she'll keep you when she finds you out. 

The Queen began her reign by acquiring the habit of working 
hard, but she was too sensible to give all her time to work, one of 
her relaxations being the habit of riding, of which she was very 
fond. Greville tells us that she used to ride almost every day at 
two o'clock with a large suite — the larger, the more to her liking. 

" She rides for two hours along the road, and the greater part 
of the time at a full gallop. After riding, she amuses herself for 
the rest of the afternoon with music and singing, playing, romping 
with children, if there are any in the castle (and she is so fond of 
them that she generally contrives to have some there), or in any 
other way she fancies." 

That the Queen had considerable knowledge of and profi- 
ciency in music was well known, as may be inferred from the un- 
witting compliment which Sir George Smart, the conductor, paid 
when he told the orchestra who were to play before her at the 
Guildhall banquet : " We must be very particular, for if we are at 
all at fault, her Majesty's ear will detect our blunder." 

Most people have read Mendelssohn's description of his visit 
to the Queen and her husband soon after their marriage. The 
Prince Consort had asked the great composer to come to Windsor 







QUEEN VICTORIA TAKING THE OATH TO MAINTAIN 
THE PROTESTANT FAITH 

'I will, to the utmost ot my power, maintain the Protestant Reform Religion, established by 

Law, and will maintain inviolably the settlement of the United 

Church of England and Ireland " 

Westminster Abbey, June 28th, 1838. 




THE QUEEN RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT 
At the Coronation. By C. R. Leslie. R A. (In the royal collection.) 




THE QUEEN'S FIRST COUNCIL 



ACCESSION AND CORONATION 89 

and try a new organ for him. Afterwards, the Prince was induced 
to play the instrument himself, and then Mendelssohn ventured 
to ask her Majesty to sing, which she graciously did, choosing one 
of the great artist's own compositions. The composer was de- 
lighted, but the Queen did not think that she had done herself 
justice on the occasion, for she said apologetically : " Oh ! if only 
I had not been so frightened ; generally, I have such long breath." 
It is the usual etiquette that the coronation of a sovereign 
should be delayed some time after the accession ; hence the first 
year of Victoria's reiom she was an uncrowned Queen. The coro- 
nation was fixed for June 28, 1838, and the early part of that year 
seems to have been largely occupied by elaborate preparations for 
this ceremonial. 

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS 

Questions of importance arose, which had to be settled m 
advance, the coronation of a maiden calling for regulations not 
necessary in that of a man. There was, for instance, the pre- 
scribed ceremony that the sovereign should be kissed on the left 
cheek by all " the lords spiritual and temporal." The youthful 
Queen naturally shrank from the ordeal of being kissed by some 
six hundred men, and the matter was compromised by substituting 
the hand for the face. 

Then came the question of the crown. The old one, worn by 
the recent kings, was of seven pounds' weight — rather too heavy a 
burden for a girlish head, — and a new one of half the weight was 
ordered to be made. This, while lighter, was of greater elegance 
in design and much more costly. It was "composed of a cap of 
rich purple velvet enclosed by hoops of silver. Precious stones so 
completely covered these hoops, that the body seemed a blaze of 
diamonds. The hoops were surmounted by a ball covered with 
small diamonds, and having a Maltese cross of brilliants on the top, 
and in the centre of the cross a magnificent sapphire. The rim of 
the crown was ornamented with fleur-de-lis and Maltese crosses of 
rare and singularly rich and beautiful description. In front of the 



go ACCESS/ON AND CORONATION 

crown sparkled a celebrated ruby, shaped like a heart, once worn 
by Edward the Black Prince ; and beneath, an immense oblong 
sapphire. Ermine surrounded the lower part of the crown, wrought 
with a vast number of gems— rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and clus- 
ters of drop pearls. The crown is stated to have contained 2,166 
precious stones, and to have been valued at ,£113,000, or nearly 
$600,000 before the celebrated Koh-i-noor was added to it." 

As the day for the supreme ceremony approached the excite- 
ment in London rose to fever heat. In Westminster Abbey, where 
the crowning was to take place, elaborate preparations were made, 
and the Earl-Marshal, who did his utmost to provide for the multi- 
tude of applications for admittance, was obliged to refuse thousands 
an opportunity to witness the spectacle. The orchestra and choir 
numbered 400, and many ladies, it is said, gained admission on 
Coronation Day by donning some kind of white dress and overall, 
which enabled them to pass as choristers. Peers gained admission 
for their children by dressing them as pages, and bringing them 
instead of servants. The poet Campbell gained admission by 
arguing that as a corner of the Abbey was devoted to dead poets, 
a little space ought to be given to a living one. 

A MARVELOUS SCENE 

Outside the Abbey, the city was as active in preparation for 
the grand event. Hyde Park presented a marvelous scene. Per- 
mission had been given for a fair in the middle of the park. A 
great space, some 14,000 feet in length, was set apart, and in it 
booths, shows, and all sorts of things connected with a fair were 
erected. Here, night by night, thousands of people assembled. In St. 
James' Park, also, tents were pitched ; this being an artillery encamp- 
ment, for the soldiers marched up from Woolwich to fire the salutes. 

A general holiday was announced for Coronation Day. Pris- 
oners, as well as paupers, were to feast royally. Great banquets 
were arranged. An ox was roasted whole in Bishopsgate. Coro- 
nation poems and effusions of every kind were published. The 



ACCESSION AND CORONATION 91 

dressmakers were working day and night Along the line of the 
proposed procession scaffolds were erected, and windows and seats 
let at fancy and almost fabulous prices. 

The grand climax of all this bustle of anticipation was reached 
on Coronation Day, June 28, 1838. At sunrise London was 
aroused by the roar of artillery, the church bells rang out merry 
peals, and by five o'clock some ladies of the highest ranks, who had 
spent all night at their toilet, were found standing at the doors of 
the Abbey, anxious to secure a good seat. It was the same in the 
densly crowded streets, in which many persons had chosen good 
positions on the previous evening, and remained all night in the 
selected spot. 

CORONATION SCENE 

Soon after ten o'clock the Queen entered her State coach of 
glass and gilt at Buckingham Palace ; a salute of twenty-one guns 
boomed forth ; the royal standard was run up by a party of tars on 
the Marble Arch, the bands struck up "God Save the Queen," the 
people shouted themselves hoarse, and we are told that the young 
Sovereign was "pale with intense feeling, her lips quivered, and 
there were moments when she with difficulty restrained her tears 
as she acknowledged the enthusiastic greeting of the enraptured 
myriads." 

At the corner of Pall Mall the crowd was so dense that the 
carriage was forced to halt. The police eager to clear the way 
quickly, began to use their truncheons on the heads of the throng. 
Seeing this, the Queen, with much feeling, bade the Master of the 
Horse to put an instant stop to this, and instruct the police to 
desist from all harsh measures. Said a paper the next morning, 
" Many a citizen has this day to thank his Sovereign for a whole 
pate. 

While this was passing in the street, Westminster Abbey was 
densely thronged. The brilliant scene is thus described by Miss 
Martineau, in her "Autobiography:" 



92 ACCESSION AND CORONATION 

" The stone architecture contrasted finely with the gay colors 
of the multitude. From my high seat, I commanded the whole 
north transept, the area with the throne, and many portions of gal- 
leries and balconies which were called the vaultings. Except the 
mere sprinkling of oddities, everybody was in full dress. The 
scarlet of the military officers mixed in well, and the groups of the 
clergy were dignified (some of them splendid : the prebends, for 
example, were in gorgeous robes originally worn at the coronation 
of James II., and carefully preserved for such august occasions). 
To an unaccustomed eye, the prevalence of court dresses had a 
curious effect ; I was perpetually taking whole groups of gentlemen 
for Quakers, till I recollected myself. The Earl Marshal's assist- 
ants, called 'gold sticks,' looked well from above, lightly flitting 
about in white breeches, silk stockings, blue laced frocks, and white 
sashes. The throne, covered, as was its footstool, with cloth of 
gold, stood on an elevation of four steps in front of the area. The 
first peeress took her seat at a quarter to seven, and three of the 
bishops came next. From that time peers and the ladies arrived 
faster and faster. Each peeress was conducted by two gold sticks, 
one of whom handed her to her seat, and the other bore and 
arranged her train on her lap, and saw that her coronet, footstool, 
and books were comfortably placed. 

"About nine o'clock the first odeams of the sun started into the 
Abbey, and presently traveled down to the peeresses. I had never 
before seen the full effect of diamonds. As the light traveled, 
each lady shone out as a rainbow. The brightness, vastness, and 
dreamy magnificence of the scene produced a strange effect of 
exhaustion and sleepiness. The guns told, when the Queen set 
forth, and there was universal animation. The gold sticks flitted 
about ; there was tuning in the orchestra ; and the foreign ambas- 
sadors and their suites arrived in quick succession. At half-past 
eleven the guns told that the Queen had arrived." 

After robing in the robing-room, her Majesty entered the 
Abbey at the head of the procession, between the Bishops of Bath 



A CCnSSION AND CO J? t IN A HON 9 3 

and Wells and Durham. She was dressed in a royal robe of crim- 
son velvet, trimmed with ermine and gold lace. Eight young ladies 
of her own age, peers' daughters, bore her train. Behind her came 
the procession of the Regalia. 

Nothing could have been more enthusiastic than the cry of 
" God save the Queen ! " that was raised in response to the question 
which the Archbishop of Canterbury proclaimed in ancient formula : 
" Sirs, I here present unto you Queen Victoria, the undoubted Queen 
of this realm. Wherefore, all of you who are come this day to do 
your homage, are you willing to do the same ? " 

After the Litany was-read, her Majesty presented a splendid 
altar-cloth and an ingot of gold. These with the insignia of royalty 
— sceptre, dove, orb, spurs — were placed on the altar ; then followed 
the Communion Service and a sermon. The annointing came next, 
which was done as the Queen sat in King Edward's chair under a 
cloth of gold, held over her by four Knights of the Garter. Her 
head and hands were touched with oil from the gold ampulla on the 
altar, and these words pronounced : 

" Be thou anointed with holy oil, as kings, priests, and 
prophets were anointed," etc. 

As the Queen knelt and the crown was placed on her brow, a ray 
of sunlight fell on her face, and, being reflected from the diamonds, 
made a kind of halo round her head. Simultaneously the peers 
and peeresses put on their coronets and the Abbey became resplen- 
dent with the glitter of gold and jewels. At the same time the 
bishops put on their caps, and the kings-at-arms their crowns ; and 
outside the trumpets sounded, the drums beat, and volleys were 
fired from the guns of the Tower and park. The orchestra sent its 
full- peal rolling through the aisles of the Abbey, and acclamations 
broke forth from every side. 

When the acclamations had ceased, the Archbishop cried 
aloud : " Be strong, and of good courage ! " to which an anthem 
replied: "The Queen shall rejoice in Thy strength, O Lord!" 
The solemn presentation of the Bible, the choir singing the 

6 



94 ACCESSION AND CORONATION 

Te Deuni, and the lifting of the monarch into the throne of homage, 
succeeded. While these ceremonies were going on, gold and silver 
commemorative medals were scattered about and scrambled for by 
the notables, even by the oldest and most dignified. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dukes of Wellington, 
Cambridge, and Sussex, and others, did homage in these words : 

" I do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly 
worship and faith and truth I will bear unto you to live and die 
against all manner of folk, so help me God." 

When it came to his turn, and he was going up the- steps, Lord 
Rolle who was upwards of eighty, stumbled and fell. Her Majesty 
thereupon stepped down, and held out her hand to him — an act of 
gracious thoughtfulness during a trying ordeal, which called forth 
the loudly-expressed admiration of the enormous assembly. This 
incident, as Miss Martineau tells us, led to the grave statement from 
a distinguished foreigner present, that the Lords Rolle held their title 
on the condition of performing the feat of rolling down the steps 
at every coronation. 

RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT 

After the Queen had received the Sacrament, the final blessing 
was given and the choir sang the anthem : " Hallelujah ! for the 
Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." 

But the Queen had her troubles, and the masters of ceremony 
made their blunders, as such officials everywhere have an unhappy 
facility in doing. Greville tells us that : 

" They made her leave her chair and enter St. Edward's Chapel 
before the prayers were concluded, much to the discomfiture of the 
Archbishop. She said to John Thynne (Rev. Lord Thynne, who 
officiated for the Dean of Westminster) : 

" ' Pray tell me what I am to do, for they don't know.' 

" And when the orb was put into her hand, she said to him : 

" 'What am I to do with it ?' 

" ' Your Majesty is to carry it, if you please, in your hand.' 

" ' Am I ? ' she said. ' It is very heavy ? ' 



ACCESSION AND CORONATION 95 

" The ruby ring was made for her little finger instead of the 
fourth, on which the rubric prescribes that it should be put. When 
the Archbishop was putting it on, she extended the little finger, but 
he asked for the other. She said it was too small, and she could not 
put it on. He insisted, and she yielded, but had first to take off her 
other rings, and then this was forced on ; but it hurt her very much, 
and as soon as the ceremony was over, she was obliged to bathe her 
finger in iced water to get it off." 

The procession, which did not start on its homeward way until 
four o'clock, was even more attractive to sight-seers than in the 
morning, for the Queen now wore her crown, and the peers and 
peeresses their robes and jewelled coronets. On alighting at Buck- 
ingham Palace, she heard her favorite dog barking. She cried : 
" There's Dash ! " and forgot crown and sceptre in her girlish eager- 
ness to greet her small friend. 

Although the State coronation banquet was dispensed with, the 
Queen entertained a hundred guests at dinner that evening, and 
afterwards went on the roof of the palace to see the fireworks. 



CHAPTER V 

The Betrothal to Prince Albert 

THE youthful Queen was not long on the throne before an 
anxiety for her marriage arose among those about the 
Court. England had been ruled by one maiden Queen and 
did not wish another. It was feared that she might fall under the 
influence of an attractive leader of one or the other political party. 
She dared not be unguarded in conversing with anybody. If she 
confided in and took the advice of her Prime Minister, of her pri- 
vate secretary, or even of her mother, ah outcry arose, embittered 
by envy and suspicion. Without any fault on her part, but through 
the intrigues of interested people, the Queen was at this time un- 
popular with many persons. It seems incredible to us to read of 
her being hissed in public. All kinds of absurd reports were circu- 
lated as to the disposal of her hand ; both at home and abroad dan- 
gerous plots were being formed to obtain it. One foolish per- 
son talked of deposing the all but infant queen and putting the 
Duke of Cumberland on the throne, a remark which called from 
the bold Daniel O'Connell the following indignant reply : " If 
necessary, I can get five hundred brave Irishmen to defend the life, 
the honor, and the person of the beloved young lady by whom 
England's throne is filled." 

HER POSSIBLE FUTURE HUSBAND 

This young lady had a mind of her own, as she had more 
than once demonstrated, and thoughts of her own as to the future. 
Far off in Germany was a young cousin who had long, in a dim, 
shadowy way, been looked upon as her possible future husband. 
About three months after the little " Blossom of May" first opened 
9 6 




THE QUEEN'S ARRIVAL IN PEEL PARK 
The Children of the Manchester and Salford Schools singing the National ADthem. 




THE MUNICIPAL DIGNITARIES OF PENRYN INTRODUCED TO THE YOUNG 
PRINCE OF WALES 




QUEEN VICTORIA IN HER ROBES OF STATE ABOUT 1845 
By F. Winterhalter. (In the Royal Collection ) 



THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 99 

her blue eyes in Kensington Palace, this youth, a son of the Duke 
of Saxe-Coburg Saalfield, was born at the Rosenau. 

The Dowager-Duchess of Coburg, grandmother to the English 
baby as well as the German, seems from the first to have dreamt of a 
future union. When he was two years old, she wrote : " The little 
fellow is the pendant to the pretty cousin (Princess Victoria), very 
handsome, but too slight for a boy ; lively, very funny ; all good- 
nature and mischief."' 

The little fellow had an imposing list of names — Francis 
Charles Augustus Albert Emmanuel. Some unhappy family diffi- 
culties deprived him, when but a baby, of a mother's care ; but his 
grandmother became and continued a true mother to him and to 
his older brother Ernest. He was carefully educated — as his after 
career in England amply showed — fond of study, particularly natu- 
ral history. His own and his brother's collections at an early age 
actually formed the nucleus of the Ernest-Albert Museum of Natu- 
ral History now at Coburg. He was, even in his boyish days, a 
keen and ardent sportsman. 

It is on record that, when but three years old, his nurse — who, 
by the way, had nursed Victoria — used to talk to him of " his little 
bride in England,t he sweet 'May Flower." : Many letters written 
by his grandmother and his uncle, Leopold of Belgium, indicate 
that the- same desire was cherished by the august relations of the 
two cousins. King Leopold wrote at one time that his " own opin- 
ion was that no prince was so truly qualified, to make his niece 
(Victoria) happy as her Cousin Albert, or to fulfill so worthily the 
difficult duties of the Consort of an English Queen." 

In May, 1836, the cousins met during a brief visit paid by the 
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and his two sons to Kensington Palace— 
though it seems to have been stipulated that the object of their 
meeting should be kept secret from the Princess and Prince, in 
order that they might feel perfectly free to form a natural and 
genuine attachment. One may easily surmise, however, that even 
as the nurse had spoken such thoughts to Prince Albert, so others 

LofC. 



ioo THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 

had installed into the Princess's mind the idea that her cousin was 
her future consort. Indeed, in her own journal, Her Majesty 
plainly states that if she ever thought of anyone at all as her future 
husband, it was Cousin Albert. 

There are pleasant little stories told of the cousins at Kensing- 
ton Palace, the little Princess riding in the gardens on her pony 
with a bright young lad in close attendance. Afterwards on her 
finger was frequently seen a small enamelled ring, containing a tiny 
diamond, which had been given her by the Saxon cousin as a part- 
ing gift ; not, as some impulsive lady readers may surmise, an 
engagement ring, for no engagement was at that time in any way 
suggested. 

On the Queen's accession, Prince Albert wrote her, congratu- 
lating her on becoming Queen of the mightiest land in Europe, and 
trusting that, in her new dignity, she would not forget her little 
cousin at Bonn. 

The Prince was present at the Queen's coronation in 1838, and 
rumor said that he was engaged to Her Majesty. But this was an 
error, no engagement, formal or implied, had been made, and she 
had written to King Leopold to say that she would not think of 
marriage for four years at least. Those who understood the diffi- 
culties of her position better than she, earnestly pressed upon her 
the advisability of a marriage, but two years more of the "lonely 
elevation of a throne " passed before she could be brought to accept 
their views. 

Leopold, indeed, paid little attention to her statement. He 
knew what resolutions are worth when love steps in, and, to give 
Cupid the necessary opportunity, he sent Prince Albert again to 
England. As before, he was accompanied by his brother, the two 
bearing this letter of introduction from the King : 

My Dearest Victoria, — Your cousins will themselves be the bearers of 
these lines. I recommend them to you. They are good and honest creatures, 
deserving your kindness ; not pedantic, but really sensible and trustworthy. I have 
told them that your great wish is that they should be quite at their ease with you. " 



THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 101 

The concluding - wish had quickly to be realized, for notwithstand- 
ing the solemn etiquette of a Court, it was discovered that though 
the princes had arrived their luggage had not ; hence they could 
not appear at dinner, but as the Queen herself records, "came in 
after it in spite of their morning clothes." Leopold's ruse seemed 
likely to be successful, to judge from a letter soon afterwards 
received from his royal niece. "Albert's beauty is most strik- 
ing," she said, " and he is most amiable and unaffected ; in short, 
very fascinating." Cupid was evidently at his usual work. From 
all that appears, a very happy and merry time seems to have been 
spent at Windsor — all serious thoughts of love or marriage were 
apparently banished, and as friends and cousins they were " gay 
and bright together, merry and light-hearted from morning to 
evening, riding out together and enjoying themselves very much 
as young people usually do." 

SHE RECEIVES HER COUSINS 

The two visitors were certainly received with the most distin- 
guished attention. Every evening there was a formal dinner, and 
three times weekly a dance succeeded it. The Queen now put off 
the monarch, and was the woman alone. She danced with Prince 
Albert, and showed him many attentions which she could never 
show to others. " At one of the Castle balls, just before the Queen 
declared her engagement with her royal cousin to her Council, she 
presented his Serene Highness with her bouquet. This nattering 
indication of her favor might have involved a less quick-witted 
lover in an awkward dilemma, for his uniform jacket was fastened 
up to the chin, after the Prussian fashion, and offered no button- 
hole wherein to place the precious gift. But the Prince, in the 
very spirit of Sir Walter Raleigh, seized a penknife and immedi- 
ately slit an aperture in his dress next to his heart, and there trium- 
phantly deposited the royal flowers." 

The Queen, upon whom it was incumbent to make advances, 
lost no time in making her feelings evident. " How do you like 



eo2 THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 

England ?" she asked her handsome guest. "Very much," he 
replied. The following day, we are told, the question and answer 
were repeated ; and then the Queen, blushingly, put the pointed 
query: "If your Highness is so much pleased with this country, 
perhaps you would not object to remaining in it, and making it 
your home?" The reply does not need to be stated; no one can 
doubt its tenor. 

In fact, Albert had come to England on this occasion with the 
distinct purpose of seeking to win his cousin's hand, an intention 
which he had confided, under seal of the strictest confidence, to his 
friend and cousin, Count Albert Mensdorff. Where both were so 
inclined but one result could follow. Just how it came about is 
variously related. The stories that have come down from the 
Court annals of that time show that the Queen had a strong senti- 
ment in favor of the young man who had come to woo her. " The 
affair had been hanging on for weeks," said a Court lady to a private 
lady. "The Queen never seemed able to say the final word that 
we were expecting." 

SHE TELLS ALBERT OF HER LOVE 

Certainly, from what we have said, she was making rapid 
approaches to this final word. It came on the 15th of October of 
the year with which we are now concerned, 1839. Albert had been 
out hunting with his brother, and returned to the castle about 
noon. Half an hour afterwards he received word that the Queen 
wished to see him, and went to her room, where he found her 
alone. A few minutes' conversation on indifferent subjects passed, 
then the young Sovereign, in "a genuine burst of love," told him that 
he had won her heart, and would make her very happy, if he would 
sacrifice himself and share her life with her. The Prince had but 
one answer to make. With the warmest demonstrations of affection 
he expressed his glad desire to "sacrifice" himself in that way. 

This is one form of a story which is told variously, but of 
which all that is actually known comes from her own words. The 



THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 103 

Duchess of Gloucester, after the betrothal had been announced to 
her family and the Privy Council, asked her if she had not been 
very nervous in making her declaration to this august body. 

"Yes, indeed," answered the Queen; "but not so nervous as 
I was a fortnight ago, when I had to do something much harder — 
propose to Prince Albert." 

This subject is also unveiled in a correspondence between 
King Leopold and Queen Victoria. The King, who, as we have 
seen, strongly desired a marriage between the two cousins, wrote 
to her at about the time the engagement took place : 

"Albert is a very agreeable companion. His manners are so quiet and 
harmonious that one likes to have him near one's self. I always found him so 
when I had him with me, and I think his travels have still further improved 
him. He is full of talent and fun, and draws cleverly." Then comes a very 
direct hint in the King's letter : " I trust that Albert may be able to strew roses 
without thorns in the pathway of life of our good Victoria. He is well quali- 
fied to do so." 

The following letter from the Queen to the King, written a 
few hours after the interview, while not a direct answer to the 
above, not then received, was an answer in effect : 

"I do feel so guilty. I know not how to begin my letter, but I think the 
news it will contain will be sufficient to ensure your forgiveness. Albert has 
completely won my heart, and all was settled between us this morning. . . . 
I feel certain he will make me very happy. I wish I could say I felt as certain 
of making him happy ; but I shall do my best. 

In another letter to King Leopold, she said : " I love him more 
than I can say, and shall do everything in my power to render this 
sacrifice (for such in my opinion, it is) as small as I can. ... I 
am so bewildered by.it all that I hardly know how to write; but I 
do feel very happy." 

At the same time the Prince acquainted his grandmother, who 
was similarly interested in the matter, with the happy news. He 
wrote as follows : 



104 THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 

" The Queen sent for me to her room and disclosed to me, in a genuine 
outburst of love and affection, that I had gained her whole heart. The joyous 
openness of manner in which she told me of this quite enchanted me, and I 
was quite carried away with it." 

The Queen's uncle replied in these noble words : 

" I had, when I learned your decision, almost the feeling of old Simeon, 
' Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace.' " 

How shrewdly the King had gauged the Prince's character 
and the difficulties before him is admirably illustrated in the history 
of later years, when, after not a little misconception and jealousy, 
the Prince Consort won for himself by his high qualities the 
nation's love and respect. 

It was by no means a betrothal for " reasons of state," but one 
arising from eenuine love on both sides, and after the inevitable 
words had been said the young lovers were supremely happy. They 
had many tastes and sympathies in common. The Prince had con- 
siderable facility as an artist, and still more as a composer. The 
music he composed to the songs written by his brother was beyond 
the average in sweetness of melody, and some of his sacred com- 
positions, notably the tune " Gotha," were of a high order, and 
found their way into the psalmodies. He also sang well and 
played with skill. During his stay at Windsor Castle Victoria fre- 
quently accompanied him on the pianoforte, and at a later period 
they often sang together the admired productions of Rossini, 
Auber, Balfe, and Moore. Before he left the Castle, his engage- 
ment being then known, the Prince drew a pencil portrait of him- 
self, which he presented to the Duchess of Kent. 

Albert remained for a month at Windsor, and we hear of a 
beautiful emerald serpent ring which he presented to his lady love. 
He returned to the Continent on the 14th of November. After so 
many happy weeks the Queen felt her loneliness very much, and 
she spent a good deal of her time in playing over the musical com- 
positions which she and her lover had enjoyed together. She had 



THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 105 

also another reminder of him in the shape of a beautiful miniature, 
which she wore in a bracelet on her arm when she subsequently 
announced her intended marriage to the Privy Council. 

The Queen had more than one trying ordeal before her. She 
left Windsor with the Duchess of Kent on the 20th of November 
for Buckingham Palace, and immediately summoned a council for 
the 23d. 

AN EMBARRASSING TASK 

Her task before the Council was an embarrassing one, but her 
courage, as she tells us, was inspired by the sight of the Prince's 
picture in her bracelet. " Precisely at two I went in " writes the 
Queen in her journal. " The room was full, but I hardly knew who 
was there. Lord Melbourne I saw looking kindly at me with tears 
in his eyes, but he was not near me. I then read my short declara- 
tion. I felt my hands shake, but I did not make one mistake. I 
felt most happy and thankful when it was over. Lord Lans-" 
downe then rose, and in the name of the Privy Council asked that 
this most gracious and most welcome communication might be 
printed. I then left the room, the whole thing not lasting above 
two or three minutes. The Duke of Cambridge came into the 
small library where I was standing, and wished me joy." 

Greville thus describes how she got through with this task : 

' ' All the Privy Councilors had seated themselves, when the folding-doors were 
thrown open, and the Queen came in, attired in a plain morning gown, but wearing 
a bracelet containing Prince Albert's picture " (the Queen tells us she wore it to 
give her courage). She read the declaration in a clear, sonorous, sweet-toned voice, 
but her hands trembled so excessively that I wonder she was able to read the paper 
which she held . ' ' 

The Queen had also to undergo the ordeal of announcing her 
intended marriage to Parliament. As though to give her courage, 
enthusiastic crowds lined the route when she went to do so. The 
House of Lords thrilled with emotion when in a few simple words, 
uttered, as always, very clearly and sweetly, her Majesty announced 
that she was about to become a wife. Both Houses expressed 



106 THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 

warm sympathy, Sir Robert Peel, the leader of the Opposition, 
claiming the right to join with the government in its felicitations. 

Still, there were difficulties. The Duke of Wellington com- 
plained in Parliament that in her announcement of marriage the 
Queen had not described the Prince as a Protestant. It was explained 
that the word was considered superfluous, because everyone knew 
that the Coburg family was Protestant, and that a British Sovereign 
could not marry a Roman Catholic. True, there is no such pro- 
hibition ; but as Lord Brougham pointed out, there is a penalty; 
and that penalty is merely theforfeiture of the crown ! 

SUBJECT OF PRECEDENCE 

Much difficulty was made about the precedence of the husband- 
to-be. The Duke of Wellington said : " Let the Queen put the 
Prince where she likes, and settle it herself ; that is the best way." 
This rough-and-ready solution not being approved by Parliament, 
the Prince's position remained undefined. So much was this the 
case, that Lord Albemarle considered that, as Master of the Horse, 
he himself, and not the Prince, should sit in the Sovereign's carriage 
on state occasions. The Iron Duke could not see this, and said : 
" The Queen can make Lord Albemarle sit on the top of the coach, 
under the coach, behind the coach, or wherever else her Majesty 
pleases." 

The formation of the Prince's household was another bone of 
contention. Baron Stockmar came to England to arrange this 
important matter, and to sign the marriage contract. In spite, how- 
ever, of the ability of his representative and his own written wishes, 
one of the offices was filled up in a manner that caused Prince Albert 
anxiety and pain. The private secretary of Lord Melbourne was 
appointed his private secretary, though the Prince had no knowl- 
edge of him, and though the appointment might prejudice the 
Tories. 

The Queen was vexed at the grant of the House of Com- 
mons to her future husband being only ,£30,000 a year, instead of 




PRINCE CONSORT 
By F. Winterhalter. 




PRINCE ALBERT STAG HUNTING 
From painting by Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A. 




From pa 



ROYAL SPORTS 
inting by Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A. 



THE BETROTHAL TO PRINCE ALBERT 109 

.£50,000, as proposed. The Prince was also mortified, for he had 
been- dreaming of the encouragement which the larger income 
would have enabled him to give to men of arts and letters. But 
though he could not conceal this from the Queen, he assured her 
that while he possessed her love he could not be made unhappy. 

And thus, with scenes of love-making and scenes of diplomacy 
and legislation, the time went en towards the day fixed for the 
ringing of the happy marriage bells. Obstacles, as we have seen, 
arose in their path, vexations came to them, but these were simply 
clouds in the path of the sunlight of love, which shone happily on, 
through and in spite of them all. 



CHAPTER VI 

Happy Marriage Bells 

THE royal marriage was fixed for the ioth of February, 1840, 
and as the time approached there was an active bustle of 
preparations for the great event. It is interesting to find 
from a contemporary writer that her Majesty's bridal attire was 
chiefly of home manufacture. The pure white satin for the wed- 
ding dress was made in Spitalfields, while the Honiton lace with 
which it was trimmed (valued at ,£10,000, nearly $50000) was made 
in the village of Beer, near Honiton, and gave employment to 
about two hundred women from March to November. The lace 
veil was made in the same village. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury, too, had his preparations to 
make, and it is recorded that he inquired of her Majesty how the 
service was to be read, particularly with respect to the promise "to 
obey." Her answer is characteristic of her true woman's heart : 
" While as Queen I must maintain my rights, as a woman I am 
ready to fulfil a wife's duties." She therefore desired the marriage 
service should be read exactly as customary. 

Among the incidents preceding the marriage is one connected 
with the love letters which flew like happy birds of passage between 
the affianced lovers, whose royal position did not prevent their 
being moved by feelings like those of common mortals. One day 
a gentleman arrived at Windsor, and stated that he had an im- 
portant letter which he was charged to deliver to her Majesty in 
person. He was waited on by several great officials, and the letter 
demanded, but he refused to deliver it to any one but the Queen. 
Victoria, however, declined to see him, and, as he still insisted, he 
was in the end handed ovef to a policeman, who took the letter 

no 






HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS m 

from him by force. It proved that he was a clerk of the post-office, 
who, on a letter from Germany coming into his hands, took it into 
his head to try by its means to gain a personal interview with his 
Queen. As he appeared to have no ulterior design, beyond seeing 
and speaking to the Queen, he was reprimanded and permitted to 
return to his duties, 

THE ARRIVAL OF ALBERT 

Prince Albert reached England a few days before the date 
fixed for the ceremony, and was received with much enthusiasm by 
the people of the several places which he had to traverse on his way 
to London. He was escorted by Lord Torrington and Colonel 
Grey, who had been sent to Coburg for the purpose, and who took 
with them the Order of the Garter, with which the Prince was in- 
vested with much ceremony. From Dover, where they passed the 
night after landing, he wrote to his lady love : " Now I am once 
more in the same country with you ; what a delightful thought ! 
It will be hard for me to wait till to-morrow evening." 

Albert brought with him the Swiss valet who had been with 
him since he was seven years of age, and Eos, his favorite grey- 
hound. These were not bound by etiquette and previous arrange- 
ment to delay their appearance until the 8th, and were sent forward 
from Canterbury. The Queen speaks in her journal of the pleasure 
which the sight of "dear Eos " gave her the evening before the 
arrival of her betrothed. In connection with this greyhound may be 
mentioned a boyish prank played by Albert in 1839, on the very 
eve of his engagement. The carriage having stopped in a little 
village to change horses, the people who had gathered to see the 
Prince had to content themselves with the long muzzle of Eos, 
thrust out of the window, the Prince stooping so that he could not 
be seen. It was exactly what any boy who loved a bit of fun 
might have clone. 

At Buckingham Palace on Saturday, February 8th, Prince 
Albert found his bride-elect standing at the outer door eager to 



ii2 HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 

welcome him, with the whole household in the rear. Half an hour 
after his arrival the Lord Chamberlain attended to administer the 
oath of naturalization ; then followed a grand State dinner. At 
the same time he was made a Field-Marshal of the British Army. 
On the following day he visited the Queen Dowager (Adelaide) 
and other members of the Royal Family. On Monday morning, 
the wedding day, he wrote to his grandmother: " In less than three 
hours I shall stand before the altar with my dear bride. In these 
solemn moments I must once more ask your blessing, which I am 
well assured I shall receive, and which will be my safeguard and my 
future joy. I must end. God be my stay." 

The marriage took place in the Chapel Royal, St. James'. 
The Queen, anxious to give pleasure to her people, had fixed the 
hour at noon instead of in the evening, as was usual with royal 
marriages. The morning of the happy day was cold and rainy, 
but, in spite of this, the crowds were enormous. The royal party 
and great officers of State assembled at Buckingham Palace, and 
went in procession to the chapel in St. James' Palace, which had 
been splendidly decorated. The Queen "looked extremely pale as 
she passed along, crowned with nothing but those flowers which are 
dedicated to the day of bridal." 

THE SPLENDID CEREMONY 

Long and glowing accounts have been published of the 
splendid ceremony, the magnificent dresses, the flashing jewels. 
We give a brief account from one who was present: 

" The colonnade within the Palace, along which the bridal pro- 
cession had to pass and repass, had been filled since early morn by 
the elite of England's rank and beauty. Each side of the way was 
a parterre of white robes, white, relieved with blue, white and 
green, amber, crimson, purple, fawn, and stone color. All wore 
wedding favors of lace, orange-flower blossoms, or silver bullion, 
some of great size, and many in most exquisite taste. Most of the 
gentlemen were in Court dress, and the scene, during the patient 



HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 113 

hours of waiting, was made picturesque by the passing to and fro, 
in various garbs, of burly yeomen of the guard, armed with their 
massive halberts ; slight-built gentlemen-at-arms, with partisans of 
equal slightness ; elderly pages of State and pretty pages of honor; 
officers of the Lord Chamberlain and officers of the Woods and 
Forests ; prelates in their rochets and priests in their stoles ; and 
singing boys in their surplices of virgin white." 

The Queen herself was dressed in pure white satin, trimmed 
with orange-flower blossoms and the Honiton lace I have already 
mentioned. On her head was a wreath of orange blossoms, sur- 
mounted by the bridal veil. Her bridesmaids numbered twelve, — 
all unmarried daughters of peers, and conspicuous amongst her 
pages was " Baby Byng," a merry little fellow, said to be only five 
years old. Her wedding ring was of plain gold : according to her 
own expressed desire that it should be " an ordinary wedding 
ring." 

For those of our readers who care to read the details of a cere- 
mony which is interesting in all cases, but doubly so when such high 
personages as a Prince and a Queen are the leading actors, we 
append the following description : 

At twenty minutes past twelve a flourish of trumpets and 
drums gave notice of the approach of the royal bridegroom, and 
shortly afterward the band played the triumphant strains of " See, 
the Conquering Hero Comes ! " The Prince wore a Field-Marshal's 
uniform, with the star and ribbon of the Garter, and the bridal 
favors on his shoulders heightened his picturesque appearance. 
One who stood near him thus made notes of his person : 

" Prince Albert is most prepossessing. His features are regu- 
lar ; his hair pale auburn, of silken glossy quality ; eyebrows well 
defined and thickly set ; eyes blue and lively ; nose well propor- 
tioned, handsome mouth, teeth perfectly beautiful, small mustaches, 
and downy complexion. He greatly resembles the Queen, save that 
he is of a lighter complexion ; still, he looks as though neither care 
nor sorrow had ever ruffled or cast a cloud over his placid and 

7 



ii 4 HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 

reflective brow. There is an unmistakable air of refinement and 
rectitude about him, and every year will add intellectual and manly 
beauty to his very interesting face and form." 

As the Prince moved along he was greeted with loud clapping 
of hands from the men and enthusiastic waving of handkerchiefs 
from the assembled ladies. In his hand he carried a Bible bound 
in green velvet. Over his shoulders was hung the collar of the 
Garter, surmounted by two white rosettes. On his left knee was 
the Garter itself, which was of the most costly workmanship, and 
literally covered with diamonds. 

THE BRIDEGROOM'S PROCESSION 

When the bridegroom's procession reached the chapel the 
drums and trumpets filed off to one side, and, the procession 
advancing, his Royal Highness was conducted to the seat provided 
for him on the left hand of the altar. At half-past twelve the drums 
and trumpets sounded the national anthem as a prelude to the 
arrival of the bride. Every person arose as the doors were again 
opened, and the royal procession came in with solemn steps and 
slow. The spectacle was now magnificent, as floods of sunshine 
streamed through the windows upon the many gorgeous costumes 
in which the royal and distinguished persons who appeared in the 
procession were attired. The Princesses attracted much attention. 
First came the Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester, still very 
beautiful, and dressed in lily-white satin ; then the Princess Augusta 
of Cambridge, in pale blue, with blush roses round her train ; next 
the Duchess of Cambridge, in white velvet, leading by the hand 
the lovely little Princess Mary, who was dressed in white satin and 
swansdown, the mother all animation and smiles at the applause 
which greeted her child ; and lastly the Duchess of Kent, regal in 
stature and dignity, and dressed in white and silver, with blue 
velvet train. The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex 
succeeded, the latter " looking blithe and full of merry conceits." 

Immediately after Lord Melbourne, who carried the Sword of 



HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 115 

State, came the Queen herself, the central figure, and one of uni- 
versal interest. She looked anxious and excited, and with difficulty 
restrained her agitated feelings. Her train was borne, as already 
stated, by twelve young ladies, the daughters of well-known peers. 

The bridesmaids, like their royal mistress, were attired in white. 
Their dresses were composed of delicate net, trimmed with festoons 
of white roses over slips of rich gros de Naples with garlands of 
white roses over the head. The Duchess of Sutherland walked 
next to the Queen, and the ladies of the bedchamber and the maids 
of honor closed the bride's procession. 

The Chapel Royal was specially prepared and decorated for 
the ceremony. The altar and haut pas had a splendid appearance, 
the whole bein^ lined with crimson velvet. The wall above the 
communion-table was hung with rich festoons of crimson velvet 
edged with gold lace. The Gothic pillars supporting the gal- 
leries were gilt, as were the moldings of the oaken panels, and 
the Gothic railing round the communion-table. The communion- 
table itself was a rich profusion of gold plate. The entire floor was 
covered with a blue and gold pattern carpet, with the Norman rose. 
The whole of the remaining part of the interior was decorated ; 
and the ceiling adorned with the arms of Great Britain in various 
colored devices. 

The entire service was precisely that of the Church liturgy, 
the simple names of "Albert" and "Victoria" being used. To 
the usual questions Prince Albert answered firmly " I will," and the 
Queen — in accents which, though full of softness and music, were 
audible at the most extreme corner of the chapel — gave the same 
answer, 

Upon the conclusion of the service, the Duke of Sussex, who 
had given her away, kissed his niece, the bride, and she walked 
across and affectionately embraced the Queen Dowager. She then 
shook hands cordially with the various members of the royal 
family, who now took up their positions in the procession as 
arranged for the return. 



u6 . HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 

The procession, being formed, left the chapel much in the 
same order as it had entered. But her Majesty and her newly- 
wedded consort now walked together hand-in-hand, ungloved — 
Prince Albert with sparkling eyes and a heightened color smiling 
down upon the Queen, and she appearing very bright and 
animated. 

SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE REGISTER 

The signing f the marriage register was the next thing to be 
performed. It is always an important part in the marriage cere- 
mony. Among those who signed it was the Duke of Wellington, 
who had also signed the register of the Queen's birth. That great 
soldier told the following to a friend. It is worth quoting, as it 
shows a pathetic desire on the part of the very new bride to honor 
her husband : " When we proceeded to the signatures, the King of 
Hanover was very anxious to sign before Prince Albert ; and when 
the Queen approached the table, he placed himself by her side, 
watching his opportunity. She knew very well what he was about, 
and just as the Archbishop was giving her the pen, she suddenly 
dodged round the table, placed herself next to the Prince, then 
quickly took the pen from the Archbishop, signed, and gave it to 
Prince Albert, who also signed next, before it could be prevented." 

Lady Lyttelton, one of the ladies-in-waiting, says : 

"The Queen's look and manner were very pleasing, her eyes 
much swollen with tears, but great happiness in her countenance, 
and her look of confidence and comfort, when they walked away as 
man and wife, was very pleasing to see. I understand she is in 
extremely high spirits since. Such a new thing for her to dare to 
be unguarded in conversing with anybody ; and with her frank and 
fearless nature, the restraints she has hitherto been under, from one 
reason or another, with everybody, must have been most painful." 

Another account mentions a rather pretty incident. As the 
newly-wedded couple were returning in their carriage from the 
church to the palace, the Prince held her hand in his, but in such 
a way as to leave the wedding-ring visible to the assembled crowd. 



HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 117 

Great good-humor prevailed amongst the masses of self-invited 
wedding guests in the streets, and there were many amusing inci- 
dents, one being that the band of the guards as they marched past 
played " Haste to the Wedding." 

On the way back the bride was no longer pale, but had a glow- 
of happiness on her cheek and an expression of confidence and 
comfort in her eyes. The sun shone out, and there was real " Queen's 
weather " the rest of the day. The cheers of the people could not 
but give her high pleasure, and she bowed repeatedly and graciously 
smiled as the carriage passed onward through her host of joyful 
subjects. All the way to St. James' Palace enthusiastic acclamations 
filled the air, and everywhere was the waving of brides' favors and 
snowy handkerchiefs. 

THE WEDDING BREAKFAST 

The wedding was of course followed by a wedding breakfast, 
at which appeared the most marvelous wedding cake ever seen. 
More than nine feet in circumference, and sixteen inches deep, it 
was elaborately constructed, with strange and curious designs in 
snow-white frosted sugar. It was valued at one hundred guineas, 
and required four men to lift it on to the table, being three hundred 
pounds in weight. On the top was Britannia blessing the royal 
couple, the figures nearly a foot high, and among the other orna- 
ments was a cupid with a volume spread open upon his knees, in 
which he wrote " 10th of February, 1840." All around and over 
the cake were wreaths and festoons of orange blossoms and myrtle, 
entwined with roses. 

Each of the bridesmaids received a magnificent hood, the gift 
of th>* bride. Each of these was in the shape of a bird, the body 
being formed of turquoises, the eyes of rubies, and a diamond for 
the beak. The claws were of pure gold and rested on large and 
valuable pearls. The design was furnished by the Queen, and the 
workmanship was exquisite. 

After the wedding breakfast the happy pair drove down to 
Windsor through twenty-two miles of spectators, and innumerable 



n8 HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 

" V.'s" and "A.'s," and other decorations. The illuminations were 
lit when they reached the royal borough, and the Eton boys 
"cheered and shouted as only schoolboys can." The Queen's tra- 
veling dress was of white satin trimmed with swans-down. Eton 
College presented one of the finest spectacles on the route. Oppo- 
site to the college was a representation of the Parthenon at 
Athens, which was brilliantly illuminated by several thousand vari- 
egated lamps ; it was surmounted by flags and banners, and under 
the royal arms was displayed the following motto: " Gratulatus 
Etona Victories et Alberto." Beneath the clock tower of the college 
there was a blaze of light, and a number of appropriate devices 
were displayed in various colored lamps. A triumphal arch, com- 
posed of evergreens and lamps tastefully displayed, extended across 
the road. The Etonians, wearing white favors, were marshaled in 
front of the college. They received the Queen with loud acclama- 
tions, and escorted her to the Castle gates. 

ARRIVAL AT WINDSOR 

By the time Windsor was reached the shades of evening had 
gathered. The whole town could be perceived therefore brilliantly 
illuminated before the royal carriage entered it. A splendid effect 
was created by the dazzling lights as they played upon the faces of 
the multitude. The crowd on the Castle hill was so dense at half- 
past six that it was with the utmost difficulty a line was kept clear 
for the royal carriages. The whole street was one living mass, 
whilst the walls of the houses glowed with crowns, stars, and all the 
brilliant devices which gas and oil could supply. At this moment 
a flight of rockets was visible in the air, and it was immediately 
concluded that the Queen had entered Eton. The bells now rang 
merrily, and the shouts of the spectators were heard as the royal 
cortege approached the Castle. 

At twenty minutes before seven the carriage arrived in High 
Street, Windsor, preceded by the advance guard of the traveling 
escort. The shouts were now'loud and continuous, and from the 



HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 119 

windows and balconies of the houses handkerchiefs were waved by 
the ladies, whilst the gentlemen huzzaed and waved their hats. 
Owing to the crowd, they proceeded slowly, the Queen and her 
royal consort bowing to the people. She looked remarkably well, 
and Prince Albert seemed in the highest spirits at the cordiality 
with which he was greeted. When the carriage drew up at the 
grand entrance the Queen was handed from it by the Prince, and 
immediately took his arm and entered the Castle. 

A splendid State banquet in celebration of the wedding was 
given at St. James' Palace in the grand banqueting-room. All over 
England that day and night people held high festival. There was 
•free admission to places of amusement, and the poor were feasted. 

Then followed a very brief honeymoon, the happy days spent 
quietly at Windsor — as quietly, that is, as the loyalty and enthusi- 
asm of the people would permit. On the 12th they were joined by 
the bridegroom's father, the bride's mother, and all the people of 
the Court. The Duke of Coburp- returned home after a fortnights' 
visit, and his son felt severely this virtually final separation. " He 
told me," the Queen wrote, "that if I continued to love him as I 
did now, I could make up for all. . . . What is in my power to 
make him happy I will do." 

After the brief period named the newly-married people re- 
turned to London, and continued the work of acting chief parts in 
State ceremonials. There never was so gay a season. Balls, din- 
ners, and drawing-rooms followed in quick succession, and congrat- 
ulatory addresses fell in showers. 

The events just described were made the text of a poem by 
Elizabeth BarrettBrowning, which is well worth giving as a fitting 
poetical tribute to the happy occasion : 

" But now before her people's face she bendeth hers anew, 
And calls them, while she vows, to be her witness thereunto. 
She vowed to rule, and in that oath her childhood put away ; 
She doth maintain her womanhood in vowing love to-day. 
O lovely lady ! let her vow ! such lips become such vows, 



HAPPY MARRIAGE BELLS 

And fairer goeth bridal wreath than crown with vernal brows. 

O lovely lady ! let her vow ! yea, let her vow to love ! 

And though she be no less a Queen, with purples hung above, 

The pageant of a court behind, the royal kin around, 

And woven gold to catch her looks turned maidenly to ground ; 

Yet may the bride-veil hide from her a little of that state, 

While loving hopes of retinues about her sweetness wait. 

She vows to love who vowed to rule (the chosen at her side), 

Let none say, God preserve the Queen ! but rather, Bless the Bride ! 

None blow the trump, none bend the knee, none violate the dream, 

Wherein no monarch, but a wife, she to herself may seem. 

Or, if ye say, Preserve the Queen ! oh, breathe it inward low — 

She is a woman, and beloved ! and 'tis enough but so. 

Count it enough, thou noble Prince, who tak'st her by the hand, 

And claimest for thy lady-love our lady of the land ! 

And since, Prince Albert, men have called thy spirit high and rare, 

And true to truth, and brave for truth, as some at Augsburg were, 

We charge thee by thy lofty thoughts, and by thy poet-mind, 

Which not by glory and degree takes measures of mankind, 

Esteem that wedded hand less dear for sceptre than for ring, 

And hold her uncrowned womanhood to be the royal thing. 

And now upon our Queen's last vow what blessings shall we pray ? 
None straitened to a shallow crown will suit our lips to day : 
Behold, they must be free as love, they must be broad as free, 
Even to the borders of heaven's light -and earth's humanity. 
Long live she ! send up loyal shouts, and true hearts pray between, 
'The blessings happy peasants have, be thine, O crowned Queen ! ' " 




CHAPTER VII 

Pleasures and Pains of Royalty 

E have followed the Prince and Queen through their era 
of betrothal and marriage. It seems in place now to say 
something concerning their life as a newly-married couple, 
before speaking of the various unpleasant circumstances incident 
to their exalted position. The bride and groom were not only 
happy in their mutual love, but also in the similarity of their tastes. 
How thoroughly this was the case may be seen by the following 
description of the daily routine of their lives : — 

"They breakfasted at nine, and took a walk every morning soon after- 
wards. Then came the usual amount of business (far less heavy, however, 
than now), besides which, they drew and etched a great deal together^ which 
was a source of great amusement, having the plates ' bit ' in the house. 
Luncheon followed at the usual hour of two o'clock. Lord Melbourne (the 
Prime Minister at the time) came to the Queen in the afternoon, and between 
five and six the Prince generally drove her out in a pony phaeton. If the 
Prince did not drive the Queen, he rode, in which case she took a drive with 
the Duchess of Kent or the ladies. The Prince also read aloud most days to 
the Queen. The dinner was at eight o'clock, and always with company. 
. The hours were never late, and it was very seldom that the party had 
not broken up at eleven o'clock." 

Frequently the amusement of the royal pair was music. Of 
this a lady-in-waiting thus writes : — 

' ' We had another charming evening with the Queen and Prince last night 
in their private apartment, and played till eleven o'clock. These practices 
must be very improving ; and it is fortunate that Matilda Paget and I read 
music with facility, for we generally have to play overtures and classical 
pieces at sight. Last night we played Beethoven's ' Septuor,' and the Queen 
observed that it was quite a relief to find, when we came to the last bar, that 
we were all playing together, for had any of us gone wrong it would have been 

121 



i22 PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 

rather difficult to find one's place again. I enjoy nothing so much as seeing 
the Queen in that nice quiet way ; and I often wish that those who don't know 
her Majesty could see how kind and gracious she is when she is perfectly at 
her ease, and able to throw off the restraint and form which must and ought 
to be observed when she is in public." 

The same lady, after describing their round games and their 
playing cards for new pence and the smallest silver coins, adds : 
"It always entertains me to see the little things that amuse her 
Majesty and the Prince." 

THEY WERE AN EXAMPLE 

The Prince, in order to arouse an interest in fresco-painting, 
employed distinguished artists to decorate in this way a pavilion in 
the o-ardens of Buckingham Palace. He and the Queen watched 
the progress of the work with great interest, and this is the impres- 
sion which they made on Mr. Uwins, one of the most gifted of the 
artists engaged. He wrote in a letter : " History, literature, science, 
and art seem to have lent their stores to form the mind of the 
Prince. . . . The Queen, too, is full of intelligence, her obser- 
vations very acute, and her judgment apparently matured beyond 
her ao-e. . . . Coming to us twice a day, unannounced and 
without attendants, courting conversation, and desiring reason 
rather than obedience, they have gained our admiration and love. 
In many things they are an example to the age." 

The following small incident illustrates this last assertion 
about example. A lady asked a nobleman who was dining at the 
Queen's table to take wine with her. Being a total abstainer, his 
lordship had to decline. Upon this the lady turned to the Queen, 

and said : " Please, your Majesty, here is Lord , who declines 

to 'take wine at your Majesty's table." -Smiling graciously, the 
Queen replied: "There is no compulsion at my table." 

As might be expected from their artistic tastes, the royal 
couple were fond of visiting studios. One of the painters thus 
honored had a son who seems to have been an enfant terrible. 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 123 

This boy, having undertaken to be cicerone to his father's work, 
pointed out to her Majesty that the elves were likenesses of him- 
self and a brother ; " only, you know, we don't go about without 
clothes at home," he volunteered the confidential explanation. The 
same child horrified an attentive audience by declining to receive a 
gracious advance made to him by the Queen, asserting with the 
utmost candor : " I don't like you." 

" But why don't you like me, my boy?" inquired her Majesty. 

" Because you are the Queen of England, and you killed 
Queen Mary." 

Her Majesty laughed heartily, and corrected the anachronism. 

The happiness of their home life was marred by an accident 
which might have proved disastrous. The Queen, looking from 
her window, saw Prince Albert carried at a headlong pace through 
the park, his horse having been in some way frightened and taken 
the bit between his teeth. She did not see the result. The scared 
animal dashed among the trees, and the Prince was swept from his 
saddle by a bough and flung heavily to the ground. Happily, no 
harm came to him except bruises to his hip and knee. Sending a 
messenger to tell his anxious wife of his safety, he mounted a fresh 
horse and rode on to the hunt. 

A peril of a different kind threatened the Queen. On the 10th 
of the June after her marriage, while driving in Hyde Park before 
dinner, she was deliberately fired at by a pot-boy seventeen years 
old, called Oxford. Her Majesty was looking another way, and 
did not understand what the rinofino- sound in her ears meant. The 
carriage stopped, but the Prince ordered the postillions to drive on. 
" I seized Victoria's hands," he wrote afterwards, " and asked if the 
fright had not shaken her, but she laughed." Both the Queen and 
Prince now saw the youth standing in a theatrical attitude, a pistol 
in each hand. " I have got another ! " he exclaimed, and imme- 
diately discharged a second pistol. The Prince had drawn his wife 
down beside him, and the ball passed over her head. The Queen 
stood up to show her subjects that she was not hurt, and then, still 



i2 4 PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 

thoughtful for others, drove to Belgrave Square, to tell her mother 
about it before exaggerated reports could reach her. 

When the royal pair returned to the Park, they found that all the 
lady and gentlemen riders on the drive-way had formed themselves 
into a guard to escort them home ; and this was done by an equally 
large number of volunteers for several days afterwards. The 
Queen was much touched by the enthusiasm of the crowds. She 
smiled and bowed, but when she reached her own apartments she 
burst into tears. At all the theatres that ni^ht " God Save the 
Queen " was sung, and when next her Majesty attended the Opera 
the whole house rose, cheered, and waved hats and handkerchiefs. 
The Lords and Commons, in full dress, presented an address of 
congratulation, which the Queen received sitting on her throne. 
Oxford was confined in Bedlam Asylum, and afterwards allowed to 
go to Australia. 

SMALL ANNOYANCES 

Aside from these dangers, there were annoyances of a minor 
kind which ruffled the smooth sea of their happiness. The office of 
secretary had since the Queen's accession been discharged by Baron- 
ess Lehzen, the Queen's former governess, and this invested her 
with powers which, however discreetly used, were calculated to 
bring her into collision with the natural head of the house. Eventu- 
ally the Prince practically assumed this duty and became the private 
secretary to his wife. All he desired, as he told his father, was 
" to be of use to Victoria." He was an early riser, and before 
breakfast got through his own large correspondence or prepared for 
her Majesty's consideration drafts of answers to her Minister. He 
would say : " Here is a draft I have made for you ; read it. I 
should think this would do." 

His wife did all in her power to make his position, which had 
never been properly defined, less difficult, but the fact remained 
that he could exercise no authority even in his own household with- 
out trenching upon the privileges of others. He felt, as he said 
himself, that he was only a husband, and not a master. 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 125 

An anecdote of this period is worth relating, as illustrating the 
punctuality which was always a marked characteristic of her 
Majesty. Punctual herself, she expected that others should be 
punctual also. A noble lady who had accepted an appointment in 
close personal attendance on the Queen, was a little late on arriving 
at her post. Nothing was said on this occasion, but on the follow- 
ing morning, being again late, she found her royal mistress sitting, 
watch in hand, and regarding her in a reproachful manner. 

" I fear I have unfortunately been the occasion of detaining 
your Majesty," was her apology. 

"Yes," was the response, "full ten minutes; and I beg of you 
to avoid such a want of punctuality in the future." 

The lady in question was much agitated by the reproof re- 
ceived. Her fingers trembled, and as she was endeavoring- to 
adjust the Queen's shawl, she made -a slip again and again. The 
Queen in a kindly way assisted her, and to put her at ease said : 

" We shall all be more perfect in our duties by-and-by." 

DISTURBING QUESTIONS 

Leaving for the present these personal concerns, we may say 
something here of the affairs of state with which the new monarch 
was so intimately concerned. Some of these we shall treat more at 
length in other chapters. She had hardly succeeded to the throne 
when disturbing questions arose. In 1838 the Chartists gave sions 
of increasing activity ; impatience and dissatisfaction (not at all 
with the Queen, but with laws and government) were manifested, 
tumultuous gatherings of fiery agitators were held, and savage de- 
nunciations of society in general were heard. Towards the end of 
1838 one of the Chartist leaders was arrested, and riots broke out 
in Birmingham and elsewhere. In 1839 "A National Convention," 
held in London, sent a Chartist petition, signed by over a million 
persons, to the House of Commons. Fresh riots in Birmingham, 
Newport, and other places followed its rejection. 



126 PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 

While none of these movements directly concerned the Queen, 
and none of them were directed against her, they added not a little 
to the perplexities and difficulties of her position. 

In 1839 a P art y difficulty arose, in which she was closely con- 
cerned. A hostile vote in the House of Commons induced Lord 
Melbourne to resign. Having been Prime Minister at and since 
her accession, the young Queen had learned to trust and respect 
him. She was as yet inexperienced in constitutional ways, and 
had not learned the necessity of keeping neutral in regard to party 
matters. She therefore openly expressed her regret at parting 
with the Prime Minister to whom she was attached. 

The Duke of Wellington, whose advice she asked, counseled 
her to send for Sir Robert Peel, the leader of the Opposition. The 
Iron Duke had expressed his opinion on a former occasion, that he 
and Peel would not make good Ministers to a British sovereign. 
" I have no small talk," he said, "and Peel has no manners." He 
had yet to learn that a woman could appreciate other things than 
small talk and courtly manners. 

Peel accepted her Majesty's commands to form a Ministry, but 
soon discovered that the two ladies in closest attendance on the 
Queen were the wife and sister of his leading opponents. He 
requested their resignation, but the Queen demurred, urging that 
personal attendants were outside the range of party politics. In 
such circumstances, Sir Robert Peel felt compelled to decline her 
Majesty's commands. 

THE BED-CHAMBER PLOT 

This incident, which became famous as the " Bed-chamber 
Plot," excited Parliament and the country to a degree that it is 
difficult to understand. Peel's lack of " manners " was the main 
cause of the difficulty. He failed to make the Queen comprehend 
that he wished to remove only the ladies whose positions might be 
regarded as political, and she feared a general raid upon her old 
friends and even her private attendants, including her secretary, 
Baroness Lehzen. 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 127 

She wrote to Melbourne : " Do not fear that I was not 
calm and composed. They wanted to deprive me of my ladies, 
and I suppose they would deprive me next of my dressers and 
housemaids ; they wished to treat me like a girl, but I will show 
them that I am Queen of England." 

Victoria in this first showed the decision and strength of will 
which she had occasion to manifest in many circumstances of her 
later life. She was too inexperienced to perceive that she was 
wrong, and was sustained by Lord John Russell and Lord 
Melbourne, who told her that she was quite right and advised her 
not to yield. Thus the Whigs — to annoy their opponents — were 
found defending the principle that the will of the Sovereign is 
supreme over her Ministers, while the Tories maintained the oppo- 
site doctrine. 

Angry discussions in Parliament followed, Lord Brougham 
making a three hours' speech which Greville calls, "A boiling 
torrent of rage, disdain and hatred." The result of the Queen's 
obstinacy was that Peel declined the office offered him and 
Melbourne was recalled. But the weak position from which he had 
retired was still farther weakened by these events. 

Years afterwards the Queen, grown familiar with public policy, 
took the whole blame upon herself. Lord John Russell, who had 
been her principal adviser in the course she took, asked her in 1854 
if some one else had not advised her in the matter. " No," she 
replied, with great-candor. " It was entirely my own foolishness." 

This affair made the Queen for the time unpopular. Near 
the end of 1839 some Tory members made violent assaults on the 
Queen in their speeches. Another hostile manifestation took place 
at a public dinner at Shrewsbury, where the Tory company present 
refused to drink the health of the newly-appointed Lord Lieutenant 
because he was the husband of the Duchess of Sutherland, one of 
the ladies of the Bed-chamber whom the Queen had retained. 

Other matters which annoyed the Queen were the parsimony 
of Parliament concerning Prince Albert's income, and the question 



128 PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 

of the Prince's precedence which was raised in the House of Lords. 
Such questions, unimportant as they appear to mankind in general, 
have an immense importance to the parties specially concerned in 
them. The bill for Albert's naturalization gave the Queen power 
to grant him precedence over all other members of the royal family. 

THE DIFFICULT POSITION OF THE PRINCE 

How well and judiciously, on the whole, the Prince fulfilled his 
functions as the Queen's adviser, history has borne testimony. If 
he sometimes made mistakes, he certainly made fewer than might 
have been expected from one in his difficult position. But his un- 
questioned integrity, his sincerity, honesty, and high principle, 
stood him in good stead ; and they were a sheet-anchor upon which 
the Queen could always rely. Neither her Majesty nor her hus- 
band expected to find life easy in their exalted station ; but as both 
were in deep sympathy with each other, and as love, trustful and 
unfeigned, was the moving spring of both, difficulties were over- 
come instead of becoming themselves insurmountable. The Queen's 
was a marriage of profound happiness and mutual trust, for it was 
a real union of souls. 

The Prince made his way with all classes, even with those 
Tories who at first looked rather askance at him. He was concilia- 
tory and judicious ; and to show the way he had advanced in the 
public esteem, the remark which Melbourne made to the Queen on 
the Regency Bill may be quoted: "Three months ago they would 
not have done it for him ; it is entirely his own character." 

On June ist, 1840, Prince Albert made his first public appear- 
ance at Exeter Hall, and his first speech in English. It is amusing 
to read in the Queen's own words that " he was very nervous before 
he went, and had repeated his speech to her in the morning by 
heart." On this occasion he presided at a meeting for the aboli- 
tion of the slave-trade, and in the terse and thoughtful sentences 
he uttered gave glimpses of that power of expressing much in few 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF RO YAL TY 129 

words for which he was afterwards noted. His speech was declared 
to be a great success, 

The Queen prorogued Parliament on the nth of August, 
Prince Albert accompanying her for the first time. Next day the 
Court left for Windsor. On the 26th his Royal Highness attained 
his majority, and the event was celebrated by a breakfast at Ade- 
laide Lodge. The Prince went to London on the 28th for the pur- 
pose of receiving the freedom of the city. At this ceremony the 
names of six aldermen and common councilmen, who undertook to 
vouch for the eligibility of the Prince were read, together with the 
declaration upon oath. The oath was as follows : "We declare, 
upon the oath we took at the time of our admission to the freedom 
of the city, that Prince Albert is of good name and fame ; that he 
does not desire the freedom of this city whereby to defraud the 
Queen or this city of any of their rights, customs or advantages, 
but that he will pay his scot and bear his lot ; and so we all say." 

The Chamberlain then proposed the freeman's oath to the 
Prince, and it was remarked that he was evidently moved at that 
part where he swore to keep the peace toward her Majesty. Hus- 
bands do not always voluntarily swear to keep the peace toward their 
wives. The Chamberlain having next addressed his Royal High- 
ness, the Prince > delivered the following answer very distinctly and 
audibly : " It is with the greatest pleasure that I meet you upon 
this occasion, and offer you my warmest thanks for the honor which 
has been conferred upon me by the presentation of the freedom of 
the city of London. The wealth and intelligence of this vast city 
have raised it to the highest eminence amongst the cities of the 
world ; and it must therefore ever be esteemed a great distinction 
to be numbered amongst the members of your ancient corporation. 
I shall always remember with pride and satisfaction the day on 
which I became your fellow-citizen ; and it is especially gratifying 
to me, as marking your loyalty and affection to the Queen." 

Prince Albert was sworn a member of the Privy Council on the 
nth of September, and it is stated that so anxious was he to 



i 3 o PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 

discharge conscientiously every duty which might devolve upon him, 
that in his retirement at Windsor he set to work to master Hal- 
lam's "Constitutional History" with the Queen, and also began 
the study of English law with a barrister. 

PLEASING INCIDENTS 

An incident of this period, of a much more private character, 
is worth repeating. The Queen and her young husband were, 
according to custom, rambling in the pretty neighborhood around 
Claremont, when on one occasion they were caught in a sharp 
shower. They took refuge in a cottage, and the garrulous old 
woman entertained them with many remarkable stories of Princess 
Charlotte and other great personages who had formerly lived at 
Claremont. She had not, of course, the remotest idea who her 
visitors were. By-and-by, as the rain did not cease, she offered to 
lend them an umbrella. The offer was accepted ; but she was very 
careful about her property, and exacted repeated promises that the 
umbrella should be returned. In due course it was sent back, when, 
much to her amazement, the old lady learned with whom she had 
been chatting so freely. 

The story from Claremont reminds me that the Queen herself 
has recorded how she began to love a simple country life. For the 
first year or two the festivities and ceremonies of London life had 
proved very attractive, but soon she became weary of these, and 
sought more and more the enjoyments of home life. She writes : 

" I told Albert that formerly I was too happy to go to Lon- 
don, and wretched to leave it, and how, since, the blessed hour of 
my marriage, and still more since the summer, I dislike, and am 
unhappy to leave the country, and could be content and happy 
never to go to town. This pleased him. The solid pleasures of a 
peaceful, quiet, yet merry life in the country with my inestimable 
husband and friend, my all-in-all, are far more durable than the 
amusements of London, though we don't despise or dislike these 
sometimes." 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 131 

Her Majesty's health was much better in the country than in 
town ; and besides, as the Prince writes : 

" I feel as if in Paradise in this fine fresh air, instead of the 
dense smoke of London. The thick, heavy atmosphere there quite 
weighs one down. The town is so large that without a long ride 
or walk you have no chance of getting out of it. Besides this, 
whenever I show myself I am still followed by hundreds of people.' 

So passed away, peacefully and happily, the first year of 
wedded life. Jealousies, turmoils, and factions found no echo in 
the loving and merry life of the happy young couple. While the most 
vigilant attention was paid to all the duties of State, the Queen 
found in the society of her husband a restful solace which, she 
declared, did her worlds of good. There was one cry that never 
failed to penetrate the Royal ears — that was the cry of distress. 
Her Majesty was always ready promptly and generously to respond 
to any really genuine appeal. Thus we read of donations towards 
Mrs. Fry's work among prisoners, and of many acts of kindly and 
loving charity over which the Queen usually endeavored to draw 
a veil, seeking to act in the spirit of the Lord's injunction, not 
to let her right hand know what her left hand did. 

WHAT REAL HOME LIFE OUGHT TO BE 

The writer of a capital series of articles in " The Woman at 
Home," speaks of the home life at Royal Windsor as a splendid 
example of what real home life ought to be. From the glimpses 
given by this writer a few paragraphs of great interest may be 
quoted. It is stated, for example, that in the earlier years of her 
married life the Queen made great alterations in the internal 
economy and arrangements at Windsor, insisting in her own clear 
and incisive way on more practical and reasonable methods. For 
instance : " A Master of the Household was appointed to per- 
form the duties which had hitherto belonged to three State officials, 
who were rarely on the premises to discharge their functions. So 
bad had been the regulations that if a pane of glass was broken in 



1 32 PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 

the scullery window, it took many weeks before the repair could be 
effected, owing to the difficulty of finding out whose duty it was to 
attend to it. There was no one to show guests to their bed- 
rooms, and one night the Queen was surprised in her toilet by the 
entrance of a bewildered orentleman who had mistaken her dressing- 
room for his bedroom. Hitherto the unused bread had been wasted 
in the royal kitchens, but the Queen now directed that it should be 
sent to the inmates of the almshouses within the burgh of 
Windsor. 

" Having so far disposed of her household matters for the day, 
the Queen turned her attention to affairs of State. At n o'clock 
the despatch boxes were opened and their contents discussed with 
the Principal Secretaries of State, when necessary, or perused with 
the Prince. In the Foreign Secretary's box were all the recent 
correspondence with foreign powers and the drafts of the proposed 
replies for the Queen's consideration, and like minutiae were observed 
in the despatches of War, Admiralty, and Home Departments. 
After this business had been transacted, her Majesty received 
visitors invited or commanded — artists, publishers, foreigners, with 
special introductions, people with presents for the aviary, and 
tradesmen with articles to sell. At 2 o'clock came luncheon, at 
which the Queen ate and drank heartily after her morning's work, 
and was ready to enjoy several hours' riding or driving in the after- 
noon, accompanied by the Prince, the Duchess of Kent, and often 
by one or other of the children. Whenever the Queen was staying 
at Windsor her mother occupied Frogmore House, quite near, 
and invariably dined with her daughter. On returning from driv- 
ing, the Queen and Prince spent some time in private. Some- 
times they amused themselves with drawing etchings upon copper 
of their children or pet animals, which were printed at their private 
press. At one time Mr. (afterwards Sir) George Hayter attended 
at Windsor Castle to give them instructions. Drawing, etching, 
music, and reading were the favorite recreations of the Queen and 
her husband. 




CHRISTENING OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL 
After the Painting by C. R. Leslie, R.A. 




THE PRINCE CONSORT AS CHANCELLOR OF CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY 
Presenting an Address to the Queen. 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 135 

" Dinner, which took place at 8 o'clock, was a stately affair, 
served by servants in scarlet and powder, while a military band 
played in an ante-room. The conversation took place in subdued 
whispers, except when the Queen addressed a guest. Politics were, 
by her desire, never discussed, and the gentlemen remained behind 
over their wine only for a very short time. 

"After the ceremonious dinner was over, the Queen chatted 
with the ladies and gentlemen in the drawing-room, unless there 
were special guests to claim her attention, in a charmingly free and 
easy manner." 

The Baroness Bunsen writes to her son in the same strain after 
lunching with the Queen at Stafford House : "The Queen looked, 
well and charming, and I could not help the same reflection that I 
have often made before, that she is the only piece of female royalty 
I ever saw who was also a creature such as God Almighty has cre- 
ated. Her smile is a real smile, her grace is natural, although it 
has received a high polish from cultivation — there is nothing arti- 
ficial about her." 

SAD EPISODES OF I 842 

The year 1842 brought with it many sad episodes. Terrible 
news came from Afghanistan, where "the fatal policy of English 
interference with the fiery tribes of Northern India in support of 
an unpopular ruler had ended in the murder of Sir Alexander 
Burnes and Sir William Macnaghten, and the evacuation of Cabul 
by the English." Other disasters succeeded, chief amongst which 
was the destruction of her Majesty's 44th Regiment. The soldiers 
were cut down almost to a man, and only one individual of the 
whole British force was able to reach Jellalabad. This was Dr. 
Brydon, who arrived there, faint and wounded, on the 13th of 
January. 

As the year opened, there was also war with China, which 
resulted in favor of Great Britain. After the taking of Chin-keano- 
foo by the British, and the appearance of the squadron before Nan- 
kin, hostilities were suspended, and negotiations for peace were 



136 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 



entered into and concluded between the Chinese Commissioners 
and Sir Henry Pottinger. 

But the condition of things at home was very serious. Not 
only was there a continuous fall in the revenue, but an ever-growing 
agitation throughout the country on the subject of the Corn Laws. 
Loud and general complaints were heard of depression in all the 

principal branches of trade, accom- 
panied by distress among the 
poorer classes ; and after all allow- 
ance had been made for exaggera- 
tion there still remained a real and 
lamentable amount of misery and 
destitution. Though the people 
bore their sufferings with exem- 
plary patience and fortitude, there 
could be no doubt that they were 
passing through a period of deep 
trial and privation. 

It was not, therefore, without 
a shadow over her happiness that 
the Queen opened Parliament in 
person on the 3d of 
February. The cere- 
mony was attended by 
more than usual pomp 
and splendor in conse- 
quence of the presence 
of the King- of Prussia. 
On the 1 2th of May the Queen gave a grand bal masque at 
Buckingham Palace, which is spoken of as "the Queen's Plantage- 
net Ball." The object of the ball was to endeavor to give a stimu- 
lus to trade in London, which had gradually been getting worse. 
At the Palace on this brilliant occasion a past age was revived with 
great picturesqueness and splendor. Her Majesty appeared as 




"VR#in* 



PORTRAIT OF QUEEN VICTORIA BY HERSELF 

In this autograph portrait, signed by the Queen Nov. i8, 1850 she is 
seen in fancy costume. 



PLEASURES AND PAINS OF ROYALTY 



i37 



Philippa, consort of Edward III., and Prince Albert as Edward 
III. himself; the costumes of those of the Queen's own circle 
belonging mostly to the same era. Fabulous sums were spent upon 
dresses, diamonds, and jewels, which could hardly have a direct 
effect upon the trade of the East End, though they undoubtedly 
did upon that of the West. Her Majesty's dress, however, was 
entirely composed of materials manufactured at Spitalfields. In 
her crown she had only one diamond, but that was a treasure in 
itself, being valued at ,£10,000, or $50,000, and this she wore on 
only a few occassions. The leading feature of the ball, according to 
the journals of the day, was the assemblage and meeting of the 
Courts of Anne of Brittany and Edward III. and Philippa. All the 
arrangements were made in exact accordance with the customs 
of the period. 

Thus with alternations of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, 
went on the lives of England's young Queen and her equally 
young husband. We have alluded to these public troubles in pass- 
ing, to show that the new Sovereign's couch was anything but a 
bed of roses, not that we propose here to give a review of public 
affairs in England during her reign. It is rather her private than 
her public life, her existence as a woman rather than her career as 
a Queen with which we are in this chapter concerned. 



CHAPTER VIII 

The Queen as Mother 

ON the 2 1 st of November, 1840, the first child of Queen Vic- 
toria was born in Buckingham Palace. Victoria Adelaide 
Mary Louisa, as she was named, became the popular Prin- 
cess Royal of England, and subsequently, as the wife of Frederick 
III., Empress of Germany, and mother of the reigning Emperor, 
William II. 

The Prince Consort devoted himself lovingly to the care of 
the young mother. He sat by her in a darkened room, and read 
or wrote for her. No one but himself ever lifted her from her bed 
to the sofa, and he always helped to wheel her on her sofa into the 
next room. For this purpose he would come instantly from any 
part of the house. As years went on, and he became overwhelmed 
with work (for his attentions were the same in all the Queen's 
subsequent confinements), this was often done at much incon- 
venience ; but he always came with a sweet smile. " His care for 
me," says her Majesty, " was like that of a mother ; nor could there 
be a kinder, wiser, or more judicious nurse." 

THE FIRST CHRISTENING IN THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD 

With all this care, the Queen quickly recovered, and was able 
to open Parliament in person at the end of January. The 10th of 
February was a double gala, because it was the day of the first 
christening in the royal household, as well as the anniversary of the 
wedding day. The day before, when Prince Albert was skating, 
the ice gave way, and he had to swim for two or three minutes. 
He speaks of this accident and of the christening in the same letter 
to his grandmother ; 
138 



THE QUEEN AS MOTHER i 39 

" Victoria was the only person who had presence of mind to 
lend me assistance, her lady being more occupied in screaming for 
help. The shock from the cold was extremely painful, and I cannot 
thank Heaven enough that I escaped with nothing but a severe 
cold. The christening went off very well. Your little great- 
grandchild behaved with great propriety, and like a Christian ; she 
was awake, but did not cry at all." 

On the 9th of the following November (1841), just when the 
Lord Mayor's procession was leaving Guildhall, a second child was 
born, this time, to the intense satisfaction of the people of 
England, a son, the much-desired male heir to the throne. There 
was great rejoicing throughout the land, and a few days after his 
birth he was laden with the titles of Prince of Wales and Earl of 
Chester. Not until his sixtieth year was he to add to these the 
loftier title of King of Great Britain. 

INTERESTING HOME LIFE 

On the 1 ith of November the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress 
and the Sheriffs were received at Buckingham Palace. After hav- 
ing had caudle served, the party were conducted by the Lord 
Chamberlain to the apartments of Prince Albert, to pay a visit of 
congratulation to his Royal Highness. The infant Prince was 
brought into the room in which the company were assembled, and 
was carried around to all the distinguished visitors present. The 
Archbishop of Canterbury issued a special prayer to be offered up 
in all churches on behalf of the Queen and the infant Prince. 

There was great happiness within the Palace. At Christmas 
the Queen wrote in her journal : "To think that we have two chil- 
dren now, and one who enjoys the sight already (the Christmas 
tree); it is like a dream." Prince Albert, writing to his father, 
said: "This is the dear Christmas Eve on which I have so often 
listened with impatience for your step, which was to convey us into 
the gift-room. To-day I have two children of my own to make 



i 4 o THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 

gifts to, who, they know not why, are full of happy wonder at the 
German Christmas tree and its radiant candles." 

Her Majesty gives us another sketch of a peaceful "interior": 
"Albert brought in dearest little Pussy (Princess Victoria) in such a 
smart, white merino dress, trimmed with blue, which mamma had 
given her, and a pretty cap, and placed her on my bed, seated him- 
self next to her, and she was very dear and good ; and as my pre- 
cious, invaluable Albert sat there, and our little love between us, 1 
felt quite moved with happiness and gratitude to God." Writing 
some weeks later to King Leopold, she said : " I wonder very much 
whom our little boy will be like. You will understand how fervent 
are my prayers, and I am sure everybody's must be, to see him 
resemble his father in every respect, both in mind and body." In 
another letter she remarked : " We all have our trials and vexations ; 
but if one's home is happy, then the rest is comparatively noth- 
ing." 

The christening of the baby Prince, a very imposing ceremony, 
took place in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on the 25th of 
January, 1842. The King of Prussia, who was in England on a 
visit to the Oueen, stood sponsor at the christening. The child was 
given the name of Albert Edward, being named Albert after his 
father, and Edward after his maternal grandfather, the Duke of 
Kent. At the conclusion of the ceremony the " Hallelujah 
Chorus " was sung by the full choir, and the overture to H ndel's 
oratorio of " Esther" was performed. 

Another daughter was born on April 21, 1843, an< ^ named 
Alice Maud Mary, and on August 6, 1844, the second son, Alfred 
Ernest Albert, afterwards Duke of Edinburgh. Two more 
daughters, Helen and Louise, and a fourth son, Prince Arthur, 
were born during the next few years, and still later two other 
children, Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice, completed the 
family. 

That the birth of a prince was an event of interest in the house- 
hold we notice that when on the May Day of 1850 the Queen's 



THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 141 

seventh child and fourth son was born, the Prince playfully 
announced the birth (on the dawn after the Walpurgis Night) of 
a seventh grandson to the Dowager Duchess of Coburg : "This 
morning at about a quarter past eight ... a little boy glided 
into the light of day, and was received by the sisters with jubilates. 
' Now we are just as many as the days of the week,' was the cry, 
and then a bit of struggle arose as to who was to be Sunday. Out 
of well-bred courtesy the honor was accorded to the new-comer." 

The infant proved the finest of all the royal babies, and as he 
was born on the eighty-first birthday of the Duke of Wellington, 
the Queen resolved that the tiny prince should bear the hero's 
name, Arthur, — a name dear also to British ears as that of a great and 
good king, although sometimes deemed a merely legendary one. 
The little prince was named also William, after his godfather, the 
present Emperor of Germany, Patrick for Ireland's saint, and 
Albert after his royal father. 

A MODEL MOTHER 

That Victoria was a model mother is well known to history, 
for her domestic life has been as open and well known to her 
people as has been her public career. 

Before the birth of the Queen's first child,that wise physician, 
Baron Stockmar, wrote thus to the Prince Consort about the infant's 
nurse: "Impress upon Anson the necessity of conducting this 
affair with the greatest conscientiousness, for a mans education 
begins the first day of his life." If the Prince before entering upon 
the responsibilities of parenthood had in this way thought upon 
details that are below the notice of too many fathers, he was not 
more anxious than was his wife, who became, as everyone knows, a 
model mother. 

In March, 1842, her Majesty wrote to Lord Melbourne as 
follows : 

' ' We are much occupied in considering the future arrangement of our 
nursery establishment, and naturally find considerable difficulties in it. As one 



142 THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 

of the Queen's kindest and most impartial friends, the Queen wishes to have 
Lord Melbourne's opinion upon it. The present system will not do, and must 
be changed ; and how it is to be arranged is the great question and difficulty. 
. Stockmar says — and very j ustly — that our occupations prevent us 
from managing these affairs as much our own selves as other parents can, and 
therefore that we must have some one in whom to place implicit confidence. He 
says a lady of rank and title, with a sub-governess, would be the best." 

Lady Lyttelton was chosen for the responsible post, but the 
Queen did not think that this absolved her from her duty as a 
mother, and she speaks of it as a "hard case" that she could not 
always be with her little ones when they said their prayers. 

She started with the wise maxim that the children should be 
brought up as simply and in as domestic a way as possible ; that 
(not interfering with their lessons) they should be as much as pos- 
sible with their parents, and learn to place their greatest confidence 
in them in all things. No foolish luxuries were allowed in the royal 
nursery. One of the nurses writes that the children " were kept 
very plain indeed ; it was quite poor living— only a bit of roast 
beef and perhaps a plain pudding ; " and the nurse goes on to say 
that her royal mistress was " quite fit to have been a poor man's 
wife as well as a Queen." 

PERSONAL CARE OF HER CHILDREN 

For the guidance of the instructors of the Princess Royal the 
following memorandum was drawn up by the Queen : " I am quite 
clear that she should be taught to have great reverence for God 
and religion, but that she should have the feeling of devotion and 
love which our Heavenly Father encourages His earthly children 
to have for Him, and not one of fear and trembling ; and that the 
thoughts of death and an after-life should not be represented in an 
alarming and forbidding view ; and that she should be taught to 
know as yet no difference of creeds, and not to think she can only 
pray on her knees, or that those who do not kneel are less fervent 
and devout in their prayers." 




"HUSH " 

Her Majesty, the Queen, with the Princess Royal and the Prince of Waies. 

By Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A. 



THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 145 

In spite of her many engagements, the Queen often made 
time to hear some of the lessons of her children herself. One day 
an under-governess received the news of the serious illness of her 
mother. Hearing this, her Majesty came to her, and said : u You 
shall go to your mother, my dear, at once, and I will hear the chil- 
dren's lessons every day myself, so you need not be anxious about 
them." 

The girl's mother died, and on the anniversary of the sad event 
the governess, when giving a Scripture lesson, could not help burst- 
ing into tears. One of the children stole out of the room and told 
the Queen. That kind-hearted monarch, observing, ." Oh, poor 
girl ! it is the anniversary of her mother's death," hurried to the 

school-room, and said to Miss : " My poor child, I am sorry 

the children disturbed you this morning. I meant to have given 
orders that you should have this day entirely to yourself. Take it 
as a sad and sacred holiday — I will hear the lessons of the chil- 
dren." And then she added : " To show you that I have not 
forgotten this mournful anniversary, I bring you this gift," clasping 
on her arm a beautiful mourning bracelet, with a locket for her 
mother's hair, marked with the date of her death. 

It was because the Queen valued her children that she was so 
considerate to their instructors. What a rebuke the above is to the 
many vulgar women who ill-treat and insult those whom they 
consider worthy of teaching their children ! 

The children were carefully kept away from the Court, and it is 
recorded that many of the Queen's ladies scarcely knew the royal 
children save by sight and by catching brief glimpses of them as 
they walked in the gardens with their parents, or sometimes came 
to dessert after dinner. The most carefully selected -governesses 
and professors taught the children English, French, German, and 
the arts. 

But although the Queen always was kind and tender to 
her children, she was not wanting in that firmness which a model 
mother should possess. " Little nobodies may be permitted to be 



146 THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 

saucy to others, but the royal children were never allowed any such 
vulgar privilege. They had to do as they were told, and to be kind 
and respectful." 

Two of the Princesses, when very young, happened to go into 
a room in which a servant was polishing the grate. In a spirit of 
girlish mischief, they insisted upon helping her, and when they ob- 
tained possession of the brushes, instead of polishing the grate, 
they polished the woman's face. The servant, when going away, 
encountered Prince Albert, and was overwhelmed with confusion. 
The Prince, seeing the poor woman's black face, inquired the 
reason, and was told the truth. The Queen was made aware of 
the circumstance, and she was presently seen crossing the court 
towards the servants' quarters, leading the two Princesses by the 
hand. The woman, who by this time had probably washed her 
face, was brought forward, and her Majesty then made her daugh- 
ters ask the servant's pardon. 

MATERNAL DISCIPLINE 

Here is another example of the Queen's maternal discipline. 
One day when she was at a military review, the Princess Royal, 
then thirteen years of age, who sat on the front seat of the car- 
riage, seemed disposed to be rather familiar and coquettish with 
some young officers of the escort. Her Majesty gave several re- 
proving looks at her, without avail. At length, in flirting her hand- 
kerchief over the side of the carriage, she dropped it, not acci- 
dentally. Instantly two or three young heroes sprang from their 
saddles to regain it. "Stop, gentlemen!" exclaimed the Queen. 
" Leave it just where it lies. Now, my daughter, get down from 
the carriage and pick up your handkerchief." 

A footman let down the steps, and the little lady, alighting, 
lifted from the dust the piece of cambric and lace. She blushed a 
good deal, and tossed her head saucily, but she had received a 
wholesome, if disagreeable, lesson. 



THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 147 

Another anecdote shows the firmness of both mother and 
daughter. Hearing their father address the family physician as 
" Brown," the children began to do the same. The Queen corrected 
them, and all called him Mr. or Dr. Brown except the Princess 
Royal. Her Majesty heard her, and said that if she again did so 
she would be sent to bed. Next morning the wilful child said to 
the physician : " Good-morning, Brown ; " then added, seeing her 
mother's eyes fixed on her : " And good-night, Brown, for I am 
going to bed ; " and to bed she accordingly went. 

A sailor once carried one of the Queen's daughters on board 
the royal yacht. As he set her down on the deck, he said : " There 
you are, my little lady." The child, who had not liked being 
carried, shook herself, and said: "I am not a little lady; I'm a 
princess." Her mother, who overheard her daughter's speech, said 
quietly : " You had better tell the kind sailor who carried you that 
you are not a little lady yet, though you hope to be one some 

day." 

Nor did the Queen cease to influence her children when they 
had become men and women. We would hear less of the revolt of 
sons and daughters if more parents had tact and wisdom such as 
her Majesty displayed in. dealing with the Prince of Wales on the 
attainment of his majority. Then she wrote to him, announcing 
his emancipation from parental authority and control. It is one of 
the most admirable letters ever penned. She tells him that he may 
have thought the rule she and the Prince Consort adopted for his 
education a severe one, but that his welfare was their only object, 
and well knowing to what seductions of flattery he would eventually 
be exposed, they wished to prepare and strengthen his mind against 
them ; that he was now to consider himself his own master, and 
that they should never intrude any advice upon him, although 
always ready to give it whenever he thought fit to seek it. " It 
was." says Greville, " a very long letter, and it seemed to have made 
a profound impression on the Prince, and to have touched his 
feelings to the quick. He brought it to Gerald Wellesley in floods 



i 4 8 THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 

of tears, and the effect it produced is a proof of the wisdom which 
dictated its composition." 

One of the early visits of the royal family to pleasant Balmoral 
was connected also with a domestic event of great importance to the 
Mother Queen. The young Prince of Prussia, Frederick William — 
afterward the renowned general and great and good Crown Prince, 
and Emperor for a brief season — came to woo and win a fair young 
English Princess for his bride. With the permission of his parents 
and the King of Prussia he laid his proposal before the Queen and 
Prince, and was accepted by them, but asked not to say anything of 
his love and hopes to the Princess till after her confirmation. Prince 
Albert's keen observation was satisfied with the young Prince, of 
whom he drew a perfectly true character : " His chiefly prominent 
qualities are great straightforwardness, frankness and honesty. . . . 
He speaks of himself as personally greatly attracted by Vicky." 
The young people had met before, and were known to each other, 
and the attraction was mutual. 

CONFIRMATION AND BETROTHAL OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL 

Prince Frederick William, however, cOuld not keep his secret, 
and at last obtained permission to tell it ; and so as he and his lady 
love ascended Craig-na-ban, on the afternoon of the 29th of Septem- 
ber, " he picked a piece of white heather," the Queen tells us, "the 
emblem of good luck, and gave it to the Princess Royal," and then 
told his tale — to hear that it was welcome to the sweet little royal 
maiden, and that his love was returned. 

The tender heart of the Queen was deeply moved by this first 
wooing in her family ; herself so young, her daughter almost a 
child, it must have been an almost bewildering event. The Prince 
wrote in warm praise of his young daughter's conduct, of its " child- 
like simplicity and candor." Balmoral ever after had pleasant 
memories for the Princess Royal who later became the Empress of 
Germany, as it had sweet and sacred ones for her royal mother. 



THE QUEEN AS MOTHER 14$ 

In March, 1856, the betrothed Prircess Royal was confirmed 
by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Oxford, the 
Queen's Almoner. Prince Albert led his daughter in ; her god- 
father, King Leopold, came with the Queen. The Bishop spoke 
of the young Princess' devout and earnest manner ; and of Prin- 
cess Alice beinof much affected. 

The Princess Royal was very highly gifted. The previous 
year, when only fifteen she had contributed a fine painting of her own 
design and execution to a collection of paintings by amateurs, done 
and sold for the benefit of the widows of officers who were killed in 
the Crimea. Her Royal Highness' master, Edward Corbould, was 
very proud of it. It sold, after some contention and bidding for 
more than $1000. 

But the life of this gifted little Princess was in very great peril 
shortly afterwards. In June, 1856, as she was one day sealing a 
letter, the sleeve of her light muslin dress caught fire, Happily 
Miss Hildyard was sitting near, and at once wrapped the hearthrug 
round the Princess. Mrs. Andersen, the celebrated pianist, who 
was giving Princess Alice a lesson at the piano rushed to her 
assistance, and they succeeded in extinguishing the fire, but not in 
saving the Princess from suffering. The arm was burnt from below 
the elbow to the shoulder. Lady Bloomfield tells us that her Royal 
Highness never uttered aery, but said, " Don't frighten mama, send 
for papa first." She showed the greatest courage and fortitude, 
and no doubt won still deeper admiration from her princely lover, 
who was now frequently, and at the time, in England. 



CHAPTER IX 

Tours at Home 

N 1842 the Queen and her husband began a series of tours 
through almost every part of the British Isles celebrated for 
beautiful scenery or extensive industries. The first of these 
tows was to Scotland, whither they were conveyed in the royal 










StiUfi' 



^— ^-^-]i^|^^ 



ROYAL PALACE OF ST. JAMES 

yacht. Sea-sickness did not spare the illustrious travelers ; but in 
spite of this kill-joy, the testimony of the captain was that " nothing 
could be more agreeable and amiable than the Queen and the 
Prince on board the yacht, conversing all the time with perfect ease 

150 



TO URS A T HOME 1 5 1 

and good humor, and on all subjects, taking great interest and very 
curious about everything in the ship, dining on deck in the midst 
of the sailors, making them dance, talking to the boatswain, and, in 
short, doing everything that was popular and ingratiating. 

They both felt dreadfully tired and giddy when they landed at 
Leith Roads at eight o'clock on the morning of the 1st of Septem- 
ber. Great preparations had been made to give a magnificent 
welcome at Edinburgh, but somebody blundered, and the royal car- 
riages arrived when the provost and his satellites were, if not slum- 
bering and sleeping, certainly not in readiness to offer silver keys 
on a velvet cushion. 

IN THE SCOTCH HIGHLANDS 

The day after, the Queen had three experiences which she con- 
sidered worthy of a place in her Journal. She tasted oatmeal por- 
ridge and " Finnan haddies," and was turned back in her drive by 
"a Scotch mist." On the 3rd of September, wearing the royal 
Stuart tartan, she paid an announced visit to Edinburgh, from Dal- 
keith -Palace, in order that the baulked ceremonies might be again 
attempted, and that the local magnates might have another chance 
of honoring their Sovereign and covering themselves with glory. 

From Edinburgh, her Majesty traveled to the Highlands. 
Everywhere she had a splendid reception, but this was especially 
the case at the seat of the Marquis of Breadalbane. " The firing 
of the guns," wrote the Queen, " the cheering of the crowd, the 
picturesqueness of the dresses, the beauty of the. surrounding coun- 
try, with its rich background of wooded hills, altogether formed one 
of the finest scenes imaginable. It seemed as if a great chief- 
tain in olden feudal times was receiving his Sovereign. It was 
princely and romantic." How ready was her Majesty to be pleased 
with everything we may infer from the fact that she professed to 
be "getting quite fond of the bagpipes!" But, as she wrote 
with simple pathos, looking back upon it all, long afterwards : 
"Albert and I were then only twenty-three, young and happy." 



152 TOURS AT HOME 

At Drummond Castle the Prince Consort made his first at- 
tempt at deer-stalking, under the guidance of Campbell of Moon- 
zie. The Prince had arranged to return at a particular hour to 
drive with her Majesty. Moonzie, who was an ardent and agile 
deer-stalker, had got into the swing of the sport, till then unsuc- 
cessful. When the men lay crouching among the heather, watch- 
ing intently for the herd expected to come that way, the Prince 
said it was time to return. " But the deer, your Royal Highness?" 
faltered the Highlander, looking aghast, and speaking in the whisper 
which the exigencies of the case required. The Prince explained 
that the Queen expected him. It is to be feared that the Highlander, 
in the excitement of the moment, and the marvel that any man — 
not to say a Prince — could give up the sport at such a crisis, sug- 
gested that the Queen might wait, while the deer certainly would 
not. "The Queen commands," said her true knight, with a quiet 
smile. 

GUARDED BY HIGHLANDERS 

The Queen was especially charmed with the beautiful situation 
of the ancient city of Perth, and the enthusiastic reception which 
the multitudes there assembled gave to her. Prince Albert, too, 
was delighted, and likened the appearance of the place to Basle. 
At Scone Palace, which is within two miles of Perth, a very natural 
object of peculiar interest was the mound on which all the Scottish 
Kings had been crowned. From this pilace, it is said, came the 
" Stone of Scone," which is in the coronation chair. At Dunkeld 
in the Highlands the royal party were met and escorted by a guard 
of Athole Highlanders armed all with halberts, and headed by a 
piper. One of them danced the sword-dance, with which the 
travelers were greatly amused, and others of them figured in a reel. 

Wherever the Queen rambled during her stay by the shores 
of Loch Tay, she was guarded by two Highlanders, and it recalled 
to her mind "olden times, to see them with their swords drawn." 
Walking one day with the Duchess of Norfolk, the Queen and her 
noble companion met a "fat," good-humored little woman." She 




A HUNT IN WINDSOR FOREST 
By Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A. 



TOURS AT HOME 155 

cut some flowers for the ladies, and the Duchess handed to her 
some money, saying: "From her Majesty." The poor woman 
was perfectly astounded, but, recovering her wits, came up to the 
Queen, and said naively that "her people were delighted to seethe 
Queen in Scotland." Wherever the royal visitors were, or went, 
the inevitable strains of the bagpipes were heard. They played 
before the Castle at frequent intervals throughout the day, from 
breakfast till dinner-time, and invariably when they went in or out 
of doors. When rowed in boats on the lake, two pipers sat in the 
bows and played ; and the Queen, who, as we have said, had grown 
"quite fond" of the bagpipes, was reminded of the lines of Scott, 
with whose poems she had, from an early age, possessed the most 
intimate familiarity : — 

" See the proud pipers in the bow, 
And mark the gaudy streamers flow 
From their loud chambers down, and sweep 
The furrow' d bosom of the deep, 
As, rushing through the lake amain, 
They plied the ancient Highland strain." 

Although, by no means, an excessive quantity of time — only a 
fortnight — was consumed in the tour, some idea of the rapidity with 
which distances were traversed, and the extent of ground covered, 
may be gathered from the fact that no fewer than 656 post-horses 
were employed. The Queen touched the hearts of the High- 
landers, among whom Jacobitism remains — not as an element of 
personal devotion to a fallen house, but not the less as a deep 
chord of pathos and poetry — by commanding a Scottish vocalist, at a 
concert given in her honor at Blair Athole, to sing two of the most 
beloved of Jacobite songs : — " Cam' ye by Athole," and " Wae's me 
for Prince Charlie." When she once more embarked at Granton 
on her homeward route, she left memories of pleasure and affection 
which far exceeded the intensely ardent excitement which had pre- 
ceded and greeted her landing. On the last day which she spent 
in Scotland, the Queen wrote in her journal : " This is our last 



1 56 TO URS A T HOME 

day in Scotland ; it is really a delightful country, and I am very 
sorry to leave it." And the day after watching its vanishing coast, 
" As the fair shores of Scotland receded more and more from our 
view, we felt quite sad that this very pleasant and interesting tour 
was over ; but we shall never forget it." 

In August of the following year the Queen and Prince Albert 
made a yachting excursion about the South coast, which gave rise 
to an interesting little incident. It was raining when they landed 
at Southampton, and the landing-stage was not properly covered. 
Another instance in which "some one had blundered." But 
the corporation officials were equal to the exigency. They had 
not forgotten the romantic story of how Sir Walter Raleigh 
helped Queen Elizabeth over the mud, and at once took off their 
red gowns and spread them on the pier to make a dry footway for 
their royal lady guest. A few months afterwards the students of 
Cambridge acted with similar ready courtesy. 

THE QUEEN IN IRELAND 

For twelve years after her accession to the throne, the Queen 
was a personal stranger to the shores of Ireland. Amongst the 
numerous fruits of the tranquillity restored to Ireland, after the dis- 
turbances and sedition which had culminated in the " Young Ire- 
land " rising of 1848, was a visit paid by the Queen to her subjects 
on the west of St. George's Channel in the autumn of 1849. ^ m " 
mediately after the prorogation of Parliament, the Queen and 
Prince Albert proceeded to Cowes, where a royal squadron was 
ready to receive them. Under its escort, and being accompanied 
by their two eldest children, they steered for Cork. The Queen 
selected as the first spot of Irish ground on which to land, the port, 
which, up to the date of her disembarkation, had been known as 
Cove of Cork. She gave a command, that in commemoration 
of the circumstance, the Cove should thenceforth be designated 
Queenstown. Having re-embarked, the royal party steamed up 
the beautiful bay to the city of Cork itself, where a magnificent 



TOURS AT HOME 157 

reception awaited them. The squadron proceeded at a slow rate. 
In spite of its arrival at a much earlier date than had been antici- 
pated, the news spread like wild-fire, and the country people as- 
sembled in prodigious numbers on the shores of the Cove, which 
were crowded with multitudes of excited Celts, whose wild shouts 
mingled with the firing of cannon and small arms, and the ringing 
of bells, made the whole scene animated beyond description. 
From Cork, the Queen proceeded to Dublin. There her reception 
was described by an eye-witness as "a sight never to be forgot- 
ten." 

The Queen, turning from side to side, bowed low repeatedly. 
Prince Albert shared in and acknowledged the plaudits of the peo- 
ple ; while the royal children were objects of universal attention 
and admiration. Her Majesty seemed to feel deeply the warmth 
of her reception. She paused at the end of the platform for a 
moment, and again making her acknowledgments, was hailed with 
a tremendous cheer as she entered the terminus of the short rail- 
way line which connects Kingston with Dublin. On her departure, 
a few days later, an incident still more gratifying to the Irish peo- 
ple occurred. As the royal yacht approached the extremity of the 
pier near the lighthouse, where the people were most thickly con- 
gregated, and also were cheering enthusiastically, the Queen sud- 
denly left the two ladies-in-waiting with whom she was conversing, 
ran with agility along the deck, and climbed the paddle-box to join 
Prince Albert, who did not notice her until she was nearly at his 
side. Reaching out to him, and taking his arm, she waved her 
hand to the people on the piers. She appeared to give some order 
to the captain ; the paddles immediately ceased to move, and the 
vessel merely floated on. The royal standard was lowered in 
courtesy to the thousands cheering on shore, and this stately obeis- 
ance was repeated five times. 

This gracious and well-timed visit to Ireland was a very signifi- 
cant proof of the royal confidence in the unshaken allegiance of 
the bulk of the Irish people. Nearly thirty years had elapsed 



158 TO URS A T HOME 

since a British sovereign had appeared in Ireland ; and between the 
visit of George IV. and that of Oueen Victoria, there was in com- 
mon only the circumstance that both were royal visits. 

Queen Victoria and her visit represented those popular princi- 
ples and sympathies which are the brightest jewels of the British 
Crown, and are now set firmly in it for ever. Her visit, at once 
august and affectionate, was a visit to a nation which was not only 
loyal but free. "And joy came well in such a needful time."' The 
joy was exuberant and universal. As the loyalty was rendered to 
"\ young Queen, it partook of the romantic and strictly national 
nature of gallantry. To witness that joy must have been the fittest 
punishment for the disaffected. 

THE ENTRY OF THE QUEEN INTO IRELAND 

"We do not remember," says an authority not given to rhap- 
sody or exaggeration, " in the chronicles of royal progresses, to 
have met with any description of a scene more splendid, more im- 
posing, more joyous, or more memorable, than the entry of the 
Queen into the Irish capital." A similar scene was witnessed when, 
more than fifty years later (1900), the widowed Queen revisited the 
island. The houses were absolutely roofed and walled with spec- 
tators. They were piled throng above throng, till their occupants 
clustered like bees about the vanes and chimney-tops. The noble 
streets of Dublin seemed to have been removed, and built anew of 
her Majesty's leiges. The squares resembled the interiors of 
crowded amphitheatres. Facades of public buildings were formed 
for the day of radiant human faces. Invention exhausted itself in 
preparing the language of greeting and the symbols of welcome. 
For miles the chariot of the gay and gratified Sovereign passed 
under parti-colored (not /vzr/y-colored) streamers, waving banners, 
festal garlands, and triumphal arches. The latter seemed con- 
structed of nothing else than solid flowers, as if the hands of Flora 
herself had reared them. At every appropriate point jocund music 
sent forth strains of congratulation ; but banners, flowers, arches, 



TO URS A T HOME 1 59 

and music were all excelled by the jubilant shouts which broke upon 
the air, loud, clear, and resonant, not only above drum and 
trumpet, but above even the saluting thunders of the fleet. 

Perhaps, apart from the mere loyal enthusiasm of the occasion, 
the most important significant incident of this her first visit was 
that it did not fail to be remarked that the first institution which 
her Majesty visited in the capital was the central establishment of 
the Irish National Schools — the first-fruits of Irish liberty, and the 
noblest possession of the Irish people. The Queen knew that in 
these excellent schools the youth of all persuasions were trained 
together, not in the love and pursuit of knowledge alone, but in 
the habit of tolerance and the spirit of charity. The Queen, by 
visit, passed her personal approval and sanction upon a system 
which is equally the antithesis of sectarian discord and the pro- 
moter of religious independence. 

Here, also, she discovered (or already knew, as was much more 
likely), that there was imparted the most useful, solid, and practical 
instruction, one of a character most precisely adapted to the wants, 
pursuits, interests, and occupations of the classes in whose behalf it 
was devised. In her survey and inspection of the normal schools 
the Queen was attended by the Protestant and the Romanist Arch- 
bishops, and the representatives of other Christian denominations 
friendly to the great scheme stood beside and around her. 

Again, four years later, when the first International Exhibi- 
tion was held at Dublin, the Queen renewed her acquaintance with 
her Irish subjects. Making a somewhat lengthened stay at the 
vice-regal residence, she charmed the people by the freedom with 
which she mingled amongst them, and by the special attention and 
the bounteous patronage which she bestowed upon the little-devel- 
oped but beautiful specimens of their indigenous textile industries 
in the exhibition building. A third and a much more prolonged visit 
was made in the autumn of 1861, the Oueen having- honored Lord 
Castlerosse and Mr. Herbert at Muckross, two gentlemen whose 
seats and demesnes are situated on the shores of the beauteous 



160 TOURS AT HOME 

Lakes of Killarney, by accepting their hospitable invitations. 
Over the lakes, their islets, and their surrounding mountains and 
mountain passes the Queen roved as freely and unrestrainedly as 
was her wont in the retreats in which she had year after year 
sojourned, after the turmoil of the London season, in the Scottish 
Highlands. 

VISIT TO THE LAKES OF KILLARNEY 

We shall let her describe this portion of her visit : 
"At eleven o'clock of Tuesday we all started in our own 
sociable, and another of our carriages, and on ponies, for Ross 
Castle, the old ruin which was a celebrated stronghold, and from 
which the Kenmare family take their name. Here there was an 
immense crowd and a great many boats. We got into a very hand- 
some barge of eight oars, beautifully rowed, Lord Castlerosse 
steering. The four children and Lady Churchill, Lady Castle- 
rosse, and Lord Granville were with us. 

" We rowed first round Inisfallen Island and some way up the 
Lower Lake. The view was magnificent. We had a slight shower, 
which alarmed us all, from the mist which overhung the mountains, 
but it suddenly cleared away and became very fine and very hot. 
At a quarter to one we landed at the foot of the beautiful hill of 
Glena, where, on a small sloping lawn, there is a very pretty little 
cottage. We walked about, though it was overpoweringly hot, to 
see some of the splendid views. The trees are beautiful — oak, 
birch, arbutus, holly, yew : — all growing down to the water's edge, 
intermixed with heather. The hills, rising abruptly from the lake, 
are completely wooded, which gives them a different character to 
those in Scotland, though they often remind me of the dear High- 
lands. We returned to the little cottage, where the quantity of 
midges and the smell of peat made us think of Alt-na-Giuthasach. 
Upstairs, from Lady Castlerosse's little room, the view was towards 
a part of the Lower Lake, the outline of which is rather low. We 
lunched, and afterwards re-embarked, and then took that most 
beautiful row up the rapid, under the Old Weir Bridge, through 



TOURS AT HOME 161 

the channel which connects the two lakes, and which is very intri- 
cate and narrow. Close to our right, as we were going, we stopped 
under the splendid hill of the Eagle's Nest to hear the echo of a 
bugle, the sound of which, though blown near by, was not heard. 
We had to get out near the Weir Bridge to let the empty boats 
be pulled up by the men. The sun had come out and lit up 
the really magnificent scenery splendidly, but it was most oppres- 
sively hot. We wound along till we entered the Upper Lake, 
which opened upon us with all its high hills — the highest, the 
Reeks, three thousand four hundred feet high — and its islands 
and points covered with splendid trees — such arbutus (quite large 
trees) with yews making a beautiful foreground. We turned into 
a small bay or creek, where we got out and walked a short way in 
the shade and up to where a tent was placed, just opposite a water- 
fall called Derryconochy, a lovely spot, but terribly infested by 
midges. In this tent was tea, fruit, ice, cakes, and everything most 
tastefully arranged. We just took some tea, which was very 
refreshing in the great heat of this relaxing climate. The vegeta- 
tion is quite that of a jungle — ferns of all kinds and shrubs and 
trees — all springing up luxuriantly. We entered our boats and 
went back the same way we came, admiring greatly the beauty of 
the scenery, and this time went down the rapids in the boat. No 
boats, except our own, had followed us beyond the rapids. But 
below them there were a great many, and the scene was very ani- 
mated and the people very noisy and enthusiastic. The Irish always 
give that peculiar shrill shriek — unlike anything one ever hears 
anywhere else. 

41 On the following day, at a quarter past eleven, we started on a 
most beautiful drive. We drove with Mrs. Herbert and Bertie in our 
sociable, driven from the box by Wagland (my coachman since 1857, 
and a good, zealous servant who entered the royal service in 1831); 
and though the highest mountains were unfortunately occasionally 
enveloped in mist, and we had slight showers, we were enchanted 
with the extreme beauty of the scenery. The peeps of the lake ; 



1 62 TOURS AT HOME 

the splendid woods full of the most magnificent arbutus, which in 
one place form for a few yards an avenue under which you drive, 
with the rocks, — which are very peculiar — all made it one of the 
finest drives we had ever taken. Turning up by the village and 
going round the Tore Mountain reminded us of Scotland — of the 
woods above Abergeldie, of Craig Daign and Craig Clunie. It 
was so fine. We got out at the top of Tore Waterfall and walked 
down to the foot of it. We came home at half-past one. At four 
we started for the boats, quite close by. The Muckross Lake is 
extremely beautiful ; at the beginning of our expedition it looked 
dark and severe in the mist and showers which kept coming on, just 
as it does in the Highlands. Mr. Herbert steered. Our girls, Mrs. 
Herbert, Lady Churchill, and Lord Granville were in the boat with 
us. The two boys went in a boat rowed by gentlemen, and the rest 
in two other boats. At Mr. and Mrs. Herbert's request I christened 
one of the points which runs into the lake with a bottle of wine, 
Albert holding my arm when we came close by, so that it was most 
successfully smashed. 

"When we emerged from under Beickeen Bridge we had a fine 
view of the Lower Lake and the scenery of yesterday, which rather 
puzzled me, seeing it from another point devue. At Benson's Point 
we stopped for some time merely rowing about backwards and for- 
wards, or remaining stationary, watching for the deer (all this is a 
deer forest as well as at Glena), which we expected that the dogs 
would find and bring down into the water. But in vain ; we waited 
till past six and no deer came. The evening had completely cleared 
and became quite beautiful ; and the effect of the numbers of boats 
full of people, many with little flags, rowing about in every direc- 
tion and cheering and shouting, lit up by the evening light, was 
charming. At Darby's Garden the shore was densely crowded, and 
many of the women in their blue cloaks waded into the river, hold- 
ing their clothes up to their knees." 




QUEEN VICTORIA PRESENTING THE VICTORIA CROSS 
Q Si" was the first Presentation after her access^ to the Throne 



CHAPTER X 

Osborne and Balmoral 

IFE in the palace has its advantages, but it has its disadvan- 
tages also. The rules of etiquette which restrict the lives 
of sovereigns are apt to grow irksome, and even the most 
luxurious of royal palaces may become what the Empress Eugenie 
called the Tuileries — une belle prison. To escape this durance the 
Queen purchased in 1845 a rural home on the Isle of Wight, the 
estate of Osborne, where she had a new house built — the scene of 
many happy days, and, after many happy years, of her passing 
away. 

She wrote to King Leopold: " It sounds so pleasant to have 
a place of one's own, quiet, retired, and free from all woods and 
forests, and other charming departments, which are really the plague 
of one's life." 

TAKING POSSESSION OF THE NEW HOUSE 

The park and grounds attached to this Island residence were 
spacious and beautiful, comprising more than three hundred acres, 
chiefly sloping to the east and well stocked with noble timber. The 
views were extensive, commanding a wide outlook over the ocean 
waters, with Portsmouth and Spithead in the distance. 

The taking possession of the new house — on the 15th of Sep- 
tember, 1846 — is thus capitally described by Lady Lyttleton : " Our 
first night in this house is well past. Nobody smelled paint or 
caught cold, and the worst is over. It was a most amusing event 
coming here to dinner. Everything in the house is quite new,' and 
the drawing-room is very handsome ; the windows lighted by the 
brilliant lamps in the room must have been seen far out at sea. I 
was pleased by one little thing. After dinner we were to drink the 

165 



1 66 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

Queen and Prince's health as a house-warming ; and after it the 
Prince said, very naturally and simply, but seriously : ' We have a 

hymn ' (he called it a psalm) l for such occasions ; it begins ' 

and then he repeated two lines in German, which I could not quote 
right, meaning a prayer to bless our going out and coming in. It was 
dry and quaint, being Luther's. We all perceived that he was feel- 
ing it. And truly, entering a new house, a new palace, is a solemn 
thing to do, to those whose probable span of life in it is long, and 
in spite of rank, and health, and youth, downhill now. ... I 
forgot much the best part of our breaking-in, which was, that Lucy 
Kerr (one of the maids-of-honor) insisted on throwing an old shoe 
into the house after the Queen, as she entered for the first night, 
being a Scotch superstition. It looked too strange and amusing. 
She wanted some melted lead and sundry other charms, but they 
were not forthcoming. I told her I would call her Luckie, and not 
Lucy.'' 

THEIR OSBORNE HOME 

The German hymn repeated by the Prince has been translated 
as follows into English : 

" God bless our going out, nor less 

Our coming in and make them sure ; 
God bless our daily bread, and bless 

Whate'er we do, whate'er endure ; 
In death unto His peace awake us, 
And heirs of His salvation make us. " 

Osborne became especially the children's home, here, free from 
the influence of the stately but tiresome etiquette of Windsor, 
they reigned supreme. The Queen sought here to bring them up 
" as simply and in as domestic a way as possible," and regretted 
that her constant occupation prevented her being with them when 
they said their prayers. She commemorated one of her birthdays 
at Osborne by putting them in possession of the celebrated 
Swiss Cottage, in front of which were nine gardens for the nine 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 167 

children, for working in which they received the exact market price 
for their labor. There was a carpenters shop for the boys, who, 
under their father's directions, built a fort entirely with their own 
hands, even making" the bricks. For the' Princesses, the lower part 
of the cottage was fitted with kitchen, larder, dairy, etc., where 
they learned domestic duties, and might be found, up to their elbows 
in flour, deep in the mysteries of pastry-making and cooking. 
They gave the food they cooked to the poor, except when occa- 
sionally their mother and father dined with them. This delightful 
cottage also contained a museum, where the children kept the 
specimens of natural history they were encouraged to collect and 
many curiosities. Amongst the latter were some garments of two 
infants who were the sole survivors of a shipwreck, and who were 
brought up on the estate, under her Majesty's supervision. 

HER HIGHLAND HOME 

Balmoral Castle, which was the Scottish home of Queen 
Victoria, is in the East Highlands, in the Valley of the Dee. The 
Queen and Prince Consort first went there in 1848, on the recom- 
mendation of their physician, Sir James Clark. 

The neighborhood of Balmoral is esteemed the driest and 
healthiest in Scotland. It is 900 feet above sea level. The air is 
pure and bracing, the soil gravelly, and there is less rain than in 
the West Highlands. 

It is a beautiful district, whether in spring, when the birches 
are in tender leaf and the broom bursting into yellow bloom ; or in 
summer, when the hills are pink with heather ; or in autumn, the 
Queen's favorite season there, when there is an indescribable glory 
upon hill and valley, of golden birch, purpling heather, scarlet 
rowan, and brown bracken. 

Millais says Scotland is like a wet pebble ; a Scotch pebble he 
means, with its colors deepened and enriched by moisture. And this 
is pre-eminently true of Deeside. The district has its wilder aspects, 
too. It is a land of glens and rushing streams, of corries and crags. 



i68 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

The casile stands upon a " haugh " or open space by the Dee, 
the hills receding for background. Byron's " Dark Lochnagar,'' 
3,800 feet high, closes the vista to the south. Byron passed some 
time in this neighborhood when a boy, and Lochnagar and Dee's 
" rushing tide " are met with more than once in his poems. 

Both the Queen and the Prince were impressed with the beauty 
of Balmoral, and, above all, with its solitude and peace, after the rush 
of Court life in London and Windsor. The Prince rejoiced espe- 
cially in the deer that came " stealthily about the house," and 
with his usual promptitude had a shot at them on the third day 
after their arrival. The royal family made the ascent of Lochnagar 
that year, partly on ponies, partly on foot, and it is said were lost 
some hours in a thick mist. The mountain has a long, sharp back, 
ending in a peak, as seen from the east, and in a nook by this peak 
they ate their luncheon. This was the first of many ascents. 

In 1852, the Prince bought the estate for ,£31,500 ($157,500). 
Later on he purchased Birkhall, in its immediate vicinity, for the 
Prince of Wales, who resided there at one time with his tutor. 
The Prince Consort made extensive plantings on the Birkhall 
estate for a deer forest, and intended ultimately to build a larger 
house for his son. But Death, as he so often does, cut short these 
plans, and the estate was afterward bought of the Prince of Wales 
by the Queen. 

Abergeldie, which lies between the two other estates, was held 
by lease. It has long been the property of the Gordons. Together 
with the great forest of Balloch Buie, a still more recent purchase, 
the whole comprises a little over 40,000 acres. 

The estate extends along the Dee for twelve miles. A public 
road once ran up the valley on both sides of the river. But after 
Balmoral became the property of Prince Albert the road was closed 
upon the south side, traffic being diverted to the north bank by a 
bridge just by the castle gate. 

On the first arrival of the royal family they drove from Aber- 
deen, a distance of fifty miles, having come by sea to that point. But 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 169 

soon a railway began to creep up the valley by degrees, threatening 
destruction to their seclusion, and was at last stopped at Ballater, 
eight miles distant, by Act of Parliament. 

There was an old castle on the estate at that time, a pictur- 
esque old affair, as extant engravings show, which had grown up 
into its more lordly condition from a farm-house. This proved 
quite inadequate for the family, however, and in 1853 the corner- 
stone of a new house was laid. In 1855 it was ready for partial 
occupancy. 

THE CONSIDERATENESS OF THE PRINCE CONSORT 

Several incidents which took place during the building of the 
castle illustrate the considerateness of the Prince Consort. The 
Crimean War broke out, with the usual result of an advance in the 
price of all merchandise, including building materials. This was, of 
course, very unfortunate for the builder, who had made his contract 
upon the basis of previous prices. But Prince Albert came to his 
relief by taking the contract off his hands, and paying him a good 
salary as overseer of the works, at the same that he paid full wages 
to the workmen. 

At another epoch in the building a fire broke out, threatening 
destruction to all that had been accomplished. It was manfully 
fought, Prince Albert helping to pass the buckets on from the 
river, and at last subdued, though not before it had burned the 
workshops and consumed the workmens' tools, together with the 
little sums of money put by from their wages in their chests. 
Prince Albert afterwards ascertained the amount of these sums, and 
made up their loss to the men. 

The castle is of light grey granite of a fine quality, and of the 
old Scotch baronial architecture, with round turrets and extin- 
guisher tops, and with crow-stepped gables. Its great tower is a 
hundred feet high ; upon it is a clock which gives the time to the 
neighborhood, and a flag-staff, from which the royal standard floated 
when the Queen was in residence. 



i-jo OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

As you look at the castle from the north bank, its towers seem 
to rise out of a mass of forest trees. But it is really very open 
about it, with pleasure-grounds to the west and north, sloping to 
the Dee. 

When Prince Albert was making his selection of the site, he 
fixed upon that which would receive the sun's rays the greater part 
of the day. Taken altogether, it impresses you as a stately and 
beautiful home. But beautiful as it is by day, it takes on a more 
marked loveliness under the magic play of the moonlight, with its 
less clearly defined shadows. The castle accommodates about one 
hundred and thirty. 

THE QUEEN LOVED BALMORAL BEST OF ALL 

The Dee in the more immediate vicinity is bordered by large 
trees, under which runs a footpath. So near is the house to the 
river, that from any part of it, if the windows be open, the rush of 
its waters is heard. A granite slab upon the lawn- indicates the 
high-water mark of the Dee, at the time of the June freshet in 1872, 
when two little children fell into a burn or brook which enters the 
Dee just above Balmoral, and, being swept into the larger stream, 
were drowned, a tragic incident that called out the active sympathies 
of her Majesty. Dee, like all mountain streams, is as ruthless in 
flood as he is mild and placable in ebb, though never wholly to be 
trusted, with his swift currents that drop twenty-five feet to the mile 
in the upper course. 

Little wonder is it that the Queen loved Balmoral best of all 
her residences. Its winning beauty would explain that, even aside 
from the fact that house and grounds were the work of the Prince 
Consort, formed in accordance with his taste, and therefore doubly 
dear. He left this property to the Queen in his will, and but little 
change has taken place in it since his death. Even when necessary 
additions have been made, they have been so arranged as not to 
interfere with the general plan.. The house was built at first for a 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 171 

residence of six weeks or so in the autumn — as a hunting-lodge. 
And as such it was used until the Prince's death. 

In the spring following Prince Albert's death, the Queen went 
for the first time at that season — arriving on May Day. Since that 
time she went regularly in May, reaching there before her birth- 
day, May 24th. She remained until into June, and returned again 
in August in time for the Prince Consort's birthday on the 26th. 
She remained until the middle of November. 

When the Queen was in Scotland she attended the service of 
the established church there, which is the Presbyterian. In Bal- 
moral Castle the Chapel, or the " Service-room," as it was called in 
the household, is finished wholly in Balloch Buie wood, a dark, 
handsome wood enriched with many knots. The chairs are of 
the same wood, seated with dark leather. The seat of the laree 
armchair used by the Queen is embroidered with the Scotch thistle ; 
a small table stands beside it, with silk cushions for Bible and hymnal. 
Against the walls are seats or settles of dark carved wood. 

Upon a raised platform in one corner stands the desk, covered 
with a dark red velvet cloth embroidered with passion-flowers and 
lilies in applique. Upon a bracket above is a small figure of 
the Christ. Framed pictures in black and white hang upon the walls 
— sacred subjects, like Fra Bartolomeo's " Descent from the Cross." 

There is a small organ which was played by the Princess Beatrice 
or by some lady-in-waiting. The carpet is peacock-blue. 

The service here was Presbyterian, and was performed by one 
of the Queen's chaplains. This service-room was completed within 
recent years, but previous to that time the Queen worshipped at the 
Presbyterian kirk which stands, or stood, just across the Dee on the 
north side. It was taken down in the spring of 1893, to be replaced 
by a handsomer structure. 

The Queen for some time would not consent to the change, for 
she loved the " dear little kirk ; " and although she did not attend 
the weekly service as formerly, she partook of the Communion there, 
every autumn from 1873 to her last visit to Balmoral. 



172 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

One of the most interesting features of this Highland Home 
of the Queen are the cairns which have been erected there. It 
must be understood that a cairn was, in its first intention, simply a 
pile of stones to mark a burial-place ; then to commemorate some 
event of importance. Cairns are found in every part of Scotland, 
and top almost every hill in the Highlands. 

THE MEMORIALS AT BALMORAL 

One of the most interesting of the ancient cairns on Deeside 
is the Cairn-a-Quheen, or Cairn of Remembrance. 

" Cairn-a-Quheen "was the battle-cry of the Farquharsons when 
any marauding or warlike expedition was on foot. The clan mus- 
tered in the immediate vicinity of the cairn, each man bringing a 
stone. These stones were left on the muster ground ; and on their 
return, when the survivors again assembled, each man picked up a 
stone and took it away with him. Those that were left denoted 
the number of the slain, and were added to the cairn. Cairn-a- 
Ouheen is on the north side of the Dee, not far from Balmoral 
Castle. 

It does not surprise us, therefore, that the Queen, who was such 
a lover of old Highland customs, should have built a cairn to com- 
memorate the purchase of Balmoral. It is called the " Queen's 
Cairn," and is the oldest upon the estate, a former one having been 
demolished to make way for it. It stands upon the highest point 
of Craig Go wan. 

This cairn was built one fine October day, in 1852. The royal 
family, accompanied by the ladies and gentlemen in waiting, went 
up to the spot, where were assembled the servants and tenants. 
The Queen placed the first stone, and Prince Albert the second. 
Then the children each placed one according to their ages. Prince 
Arthur, Duke of Connaught, was the youngest at that time, a wee 
laddie of two years and six months. 

After the family, the ladies and gentlemen each placed a 
stone ; then all advanced together 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 173 

And so the cairn arose to the music of the pipes, and with 
much gay laughter and merriment. All the people danced reels, 
including the old women in their mutches, and the little children, 
among them Lizzie Stewart, with hair a-flying, who was for many 
years one of the Queen's wardrobe-maids. 

When the cairn was almost complete, Prince Albert climbed 
up and placed the topmost stone. Then three cheers were given. 
And so it stands to this day. Lichens have gathered upon it, and 
heather has rooted itself in its crevices. It is about eight feet 
high, a cone in shape, hollowed at one side. In this hollow is 
inserted an oval slab of granite bearing this inscription : — 

"This cairn was erected in the presence of Queen Victoria and 
Prince Albert to commemorate the purchase of the Balmoral Estate, 
Oct 11, 1852." 

Each child had a cairn built to commemorate his or her mar- 
riage. By a path winding along the back of Craig Gowan, and cross- 
ing a dry ravine by a rustic bridge, over which was the last bit of 
work planned on the estate by Prince Albert, you reach the base 
of Craig Lowrigan, on the summit of which is the cairn erected by 
the Queen to the memory of the Prince. You pass through a gate, 
and a wide, smooth path is before you, up which, though steep in 
places, the Queen's garden chair could readily go. 

The path ascends through a wood of fir and larch. On any fine 
February day one might stroll up the hill and the robins would be 
singing and the doves cooing in the woods below, although the wind 
from off Lochnagar's snow-streaked sides might be piercing cold. 

The summit is treeless, but has a low growth of heather and 
cranberry. The shallow pools of water often have a thin coating 
of ice, and there are plenty of deer tracks about, but no deer visible. 

The cairn is a pyramid of granite blocks, built without mortar. 
It is about forty feet square at the base and thirty- five feet high, 
and can be seen for miles up and down the valley. On one side 
are cut the initials of the Queen and her children ; on that fronting 
the valley is the following inscription : 



174 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

To the Beloved Memory 

of 

Albert, the Great and Good 

Prince Consort, 

Raised by his Broken-hearted Widow} 

Victoria R. 

August 21, 1862 

" He being made perfect, in a short time fulfilled a long time, 
For his soul pleased the Lord, 
Therefore hastened He to take him 
Away from among the wicked." 

— Wisdom of Solomon, iv. 13, 14. 

There are not many left on the estate who knew the Prince 
Consort personally. Even most of the children of his day have 
gone away. One of those, who remain, remembers him. " He 
looked particularly well on horseback. He was always busy — 
always thinking and planning what good thing he could do ; how 
he could improve and make things better." 

One of the old servants was fond of speaking of "his kind- 
ness of heart and his invariable good humor. Met you always 
with a smile. If your work pleased him, he said so, and if it did 
not please him, he said so ; but always with the same kind smile. 
Always ready to own if he had made a mistake. A busy, system- 
atic man. The punctualest man. To each hour its work. He 
might be talking with you, when out would come his watch. 
' Time's up,' he would say, and was off like a bird." 

The venerable face of the old servant grew mildly radiant as 
he talked of his master ; for the Prince was greatly beloved at 
Balmoral. The words " beloved master " on the obelisk are not per- 
functory, as is so often the case with mortuary terms of endearment. 

The cottagers are fond of telling a good story of the Queen's 
three sons. 

The three had been fishing some distance from Balmoral, and 
were waiting at the appointed place for the wagonette to take them 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 175 

home. A boy with an empty machine came along, and, seeing 
them standing there, asked where they were going. 

" To Balmoral." 

"Would they ride with him?" 

" Oh, yes," and they all got in. 

"And what may you do at Balmoral?" asked the boy of the 
Prince of Wales, who sat beside him ; the whole three, it seems, 
being strangers to the lad. 

" I am the Prince of Wales." 

" Ay? and who may that chap be ? " indicating with his thumb 
over his shoulder the second son of her Majesty. 

" He is the Duke of Edinburgh." 

" And t'other one ?" with another jerk of his thumb. 

"The Duke of Connaught." 

The boy wore an air of thought for some moments, then he 

spoke again. 

" Perhaps yo'd like to know who I am?" he said. 

The Prince intimated that he would. 

" I am the Shah of Persia," said the lad, not to be outdone in 
this assumption of titles. 

From internal evidence, I should judge that this story 
orio-inated at or about the time of the visit of the Shah of Persia 
and his suite to Balmoral. They were not entertained at the 
Castle, with the exception of a lunch, but at the neighboring house 
of Glenmuick. A ball was given there in their honor, largely 
attended by the neighborhood. The Shah was not impressed with 
the beauty of the ladies, nor with the dancing. Like all Orientals, 
he could not understand why people should go through the fatigue 
of dancing when they could have it done for them. 

Going from one castle to another, from Balmoral to Windsor, 
or in the opposite direction was quite an event, and the story of a 
trip is most entertaining, especially when we have at hand an eye- 
witness to tell the story, which we shall, in the main, give in his 
words The Queen's train as here described is the one which was 



176 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

draped in purple and used to carry the body of the Queen from 
London to Windsor for burial. The description is of the train as 
used only a short time before the Queen's death : 

The Queen's train as it is made up at Ballater is somewhat 
imposing. It is drawn by two engines. Aside from the Queen's 
two carriages there are nine others, and added to these two guard 
and luggage vans. 

Very nearly in the centre are the Queen's carriages. In 
entering the rear you step into the compartment devoted to the 
women in attendance. 

Ordinarily the steps of railway cars are stationary, but those 
of the Queen's carriage are dropped, and when unused folded into 
a leather box. The handles of the doors are heavily gilded and 
handsome. 

All the compartments are thickly padded, walls and ceiling. 
The ceilings are in white silk. This first compartment is upholstered 
in fawn, and has two long couches which can be converted into four 
comfortable night couches. Here the Queen's dresser rides, 
together with one of the wardrobe maids. These wardrobe maids 
alternately do night duty, i. e., one always sleeps within the Queen's 
call, and the one whose night it is to serve rides in this compartment, 
a door at the other end leading directly into the Queen's bedroom. 

The walls of this royal sleeping-room are upholstered in dark 
red. 'I he shades are green. So are the beds which stand, two of 
them, either side of the narrow passage at the upper end of the 
compartment. The Princess Beatrice always shares the compart- 
ments of the Queen. An electric bell is within reach of the beds. 

It was here, between the bedroom and the sitting-room, that 
the big Englishman who took me through the carriages, and-who 
has the train in charge, called my attention to an extremely beautiful 
door which, he said, was made of ' Ungarian hash.' 

A lavatory separates the bed and sitting-rooms. This is 
finished in light wood, and the bowls and other toilet receptacles 
are of silver plate. 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL I?7 

The sitting-room is upholstered in light blue silk of that vivid 
hue called "royal blue." Blinds and curtains are of blue; so .are 
the lambrequins, which are surmounted with the royal arms. 

Large easy-chairs, a sofa, and two tables make up the furniture. 
There are stationary lamps with blue shades and a clock. A door 
leads from the sitting-room into the compartment where the personal 
attendant rides. In this compartment are four deep-cushioned chairs 
which can be converted into night couches. Thick rugs cover the 
floors of all the compartments. There is no particular splendor 
about these interiors ; they are handsome, solid, comfortable ; in one 
word, ' English.' 

The body of each carriage is almost black on the outside, 
highly polished, and bears in colors the royal arms, the Scotch 
thistle and the star of India. The upper part is in panels of white 
and gilt, and there is a narrow carved cornice in black, with here 
and there a gilt lion's head or a crown in high relief. The ends of 
the beams, or whatever they may be technically called, which project 
at the bottom of the carriage, are also finished in large gilt lions' 
heads. The running gear is painted to simulate gilt. 

The Queen's carriages are built with a view to noiselessness 
and the greatest possible smoothness of motion. They have five 
floors ; two of wood laid upon each other at right angles, two of 
rubber and one of cork. The thick padding of the inside also 
tends to noiselessness. There are no brakes upon these carriages, 
but very powerful brakes are brought to bear upon the train from 
the engines and from the guard's van in the rear. So the occupants 
are not subjected to those sudden jerks when stopping with which 
the most of us travelers are familiar. 

THE QUEEN'S DEPARTURE 

The train as it stood the day of the Queen's departure, on 
one of her latest trips, had next the engine and guard's van two 
saloon cars, occupied by a sheriff, directors and numerous officials 
representing the railway systems over which the train was to pass. 



1 78 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

These were followed by the saloon for the Queen's Indian secre- 
tary, Munshi Abdul Karim, and Indian attendants. Next came 
that devoted to the use of her private secretary, Dr. Reid, her 
physician, and other gentlemen. Then the Queen's carriages, 
followed by that of the children of Prince and Princess Henry of 
Battenberg and attendants. The eighth saloon was for the ladies- 
in-waiting ; the ninth for the dressers and ladies' maids ; tenth for 
upper servants and pages ; eleventh and last for men servants. 

Everything was spick-and-span, the dusting of panels and 
polishing of windows being kept up till the very last minute ; a 
handsome train, illustrative of the triumph of the nineteenth cen- 
tury over those dark ages when the few folk who ventured to travel 
entered upon their journey in great fear and discomfort, the Church 
putting up prayers for their safety, as the English litany bears wit- 
ness to-day. 

The Queen had a waiting-room at Ballater, the station near 
Balmoral. It was fitted up only a few years ago, and finished on 
a day when she was expected. In fact, figuratively speaking, the 
last blow of the hammer may be said to have mingled with the 
sound of her approaching train. The officials and workmen awaited 
anxiously her verdict. 

11 Charming ! " was her exclamation as she entered. The walls 
are panelled in satin-wood, polished but not varnished, alternating 
with dark wood. The softly-toned ceiling is of thick paper, which 
gives the effect of stucco, with a white-and-gilt cornice. There 
are two pretty windows of stained glass, with the rose, thistle and 
shamrock, and in the centre the monogram V. R. I. The double 
English rose and the Scotch thistle are also prominent in the ceil- 
ing. Plate mirrors are let into the walls above the fireplace, and at 
the opposite end ; there is a thick Persian rug, and the furniture is 
Queen Anne, in dark red morocco. The walls of the lavatory are 
particularly fine, being made of Scotch fir, a handsome wood, and 
worked in the old linen pattern. Several smoking-rooms in Eng- 
lish houses have since been finished in this wood and pattern, the 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 179 

owners having seen and admired these walls when guests of the 
Queen at Balmoral. Every appointment for the toilet is kept here, 
even to the toilet vinegar. 

Tea was sometimes served in this waiting-room for members of 
the royal family coming in on the train. It is a tasteful, cozy, 
homelike room, and when lighted up by a blazing fire of soft coal 
in its tiled grate it is " charming ! " as the Queen said. 

A BUSY SCENE 

As early as nine on the day the Queen left Balmoral — her 
special train being scheduled for 2.25 p.m. — every variety of machine 
was on the way to the castle for the conveyance of luggage, for 
although there are plenty of horses in the Balmoral stables for 
ordinary uses, they are insufficient for the moving of the household. 

During the forenoon all the saddle and carriage horses were 
brought down together with the ponies and children's donkeys, the 
latter round, fat little beasts, light grey and white. The day before, 
all the dogs had been sent to Windsor in company with the pipers ; 
the pipes ignominiously swathed in bags, and the little golden 
brown "Marco" and a fat fox terrier named "Spot" in a comfort- 
able dog box. 

The whole morning brakes and lorries or baggage vans con- 
tinued to arrive, and two of the Queen's tall footmen, in scarlet 
coats, were busy at the station sorting the luggage they brought. 

By 2 o'clock people began to gather in the station square in 
expectation of the arrival of the Queen. Carriage after carriage 
from Balmoral drove up, all open, although it was a cold day and 
the wind swept freshly down the valley. But the Queen always 
drives with her carriage open, unless it storms, and, of course, the 
Court follows her example. 

The Secretary and Physician in one. The former, a tall 
slight man, with grey hair and beard, and wearing a long light 
cloak ; ladies-in-waiting and maids-of-honor in another ; the two 
wardrobe maids in a carriage by themselves. 



180 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

The Indian Secretary, Munshi Abdul Karim, arrived in state, 
alone in his carriage, wearing a light bluish-grey turban, and appar- 
ently concentrating in himself the dignity of the whole Indian 
empire. He looked neither to the right nor to the left, but descend- 
ing with unbended solemnity, stalked majestically over the red car- 
pet and disappeared into his own saloon. 

Not so the little white-turbaned Indian upon the box. He 
had no sense of dignity to disturb him, and skipped down from his 
perch with the celerity of a monkey, picked up his master's traps 
and trotted after him, also disappearing into the saloon, but reap- 
pearing shortly at a window, out of which he hung in intense enjoy- 
ment of the bustle. 

My own place of observation was a window in the Albert 
Memorial Hall, looking directly down upon the little square and 
close to the entrance of the station. I heard a voice behind me 
saying : ' I remember the first time the Queen came to Balmoral.' 

I turned quickly and asked : ' Do you remember when she 
and Prince Albert drove from Aberdeen to Balmoral, with tri- 
umphal arches all the way ? I have been wanting to see somebody 
that remembered that' 

1 Yes,' she said, for it was a woman's voice. ' I remember it 
all perfectly. I was eight years old, and I wore a white frock, and 
all we children sang ' God Save the Queen ' as she drove by. I re- 
member how disappointed I was, for I thought she would wear a 
crown and ride in a gilt coach. She wore a white bonnet trimmed 
with a blue ribbon, the royal blue, and a blue veil, and a shawl of 
royal Stuart plaid folded in a point.' 

So said the voice, and it gave a picturesque touch to the hour 
and scene. That was in 1848, and quite unlike the happy-hearted 
wife of that time was the woman we were about to see. 

Other scraps of the Ballater folk talk caught my ear : ' There 
she is!' 'Oh, no, that isn't she yet!' 'She'll not be before her 
time ! ' ' She's in no hurry to get away from Balmoral ! ' 'Aye, 
aye ! she'll be sorry to go ! ' 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 181 

In the meantime the Guard of Honor had arrived and taken 
their stand. From our position we could see the Balmoral road 
where it winds around Craigendarroch, and the carriage at first taken 
for the Queen's proved to be that conveying the baby of the house- 
hold, little Prince Donald, a fine, large carriage drawn by four horses, 
with postillions in scarlet jackets, and two footmen in the rumble. 
This carriage was closed, baby here as elsewhere being a law unto 
himself. He was lifted out, a soft white bundle, in his nurse's 
arms, and with another child toddling by her side, they also disap- 
peared under the arched entrance. 

WHEN THE QUEEN ARRIVED 

Soon after, two more white-turbaned Indian attendants drove 
up in a brougham, and one of them, clad in a light blue gown, with 
white trousers and white sash, took his stand by the entrance. 
Then we knew that her Majesty could not be far behind. 

For, as she is always the first to arrive at the castle, so is 
she the last to leave. When she comes in May and' August, a 
brougham is always in waiting at the station, into which two of the 
attendants instantly spring and drive with all speed to the castle, 
to be in attendance when her Majesty arrives. And she is the first 
to enter the castle. When she leaves, everybody is sent off, these 
two attendants only waiting to see her into her carriage. Then 
they depart, and she is the last to drive away. 

A man was stationed by the flagstaff on the hall, and as soon 
as the carriage with its outrider was seen coming round Craigen- 
darroch the royal standard was run up. 

The carriage slowed as it entered the square, and the Queen 
bowed as she passed. Her face wore a somewhat serious aspect, 
and there was an air of gravity about the people. With two or 
three exceptions they were all Ballater folk. They know her well 
Many years of coming and going have made them familiar with 
her face. It was not curiosity that had brought them out. It was 
quite another feeling, and it seemed more like a family gathered to 



1 82 OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 

say ' good-bye ' and ' god-speed ' to its head than a Queen and her 
subjects. There was a touching homeliness about the scene. 

There were no cheers, no demonstration, as she does not wish 
it. Only once has that rule been broken over, and that was in 1887, 
her jubilee year. Then the school children were ranged beside 
the road ; the old men over eighty came from all down the valley 
and stood in one line, and all the people cheered to their hearts' 
content while the Queen walked her horses and bowed, smiling 
and happy. 

As her carriage, with its four beautiful greys ridden by postil- 
lions in black and white, drew up at the station, the salute was 
played. For a moment she sat quietly while every eye was fixed 
upon her ; a short woman, plainly dressed in black, very like her 
later photographs. 

For myself, as I looked at her, I lost sight of the Queen and 
Empress in the woman. I thought of the young girl awakened on 
that June morning in 1837, to be told that she was Queen of Great 
Britain, and who came with loosened hair and little slippered feet 
to ask the reverend prelate, who was one of the messengers, to 
pray for her. 

What a life lay between that hour and his ! How rich in all 
that consecrates life and makes for character ! She has touched 
the heights of human happiness, and has sounded the deeps of 
human sorrow. ' God bless her ! ' I heard a voice say behind 
me. 

The Princess Beatrice was seated beside her, and her two 
oldest children sat with their backs to the horses. The mother and 
children stepped out ; and then Francie Clark, her personal High- 
land attendant, who had ridden in his place in the rumble, came 
forward, together with the blue-and-white robed Indian attendant, 
to assist the Queen to alight. She stood for a moment, walking- 
stick in hand, and then she, too, disappeared in the arched entrance. 
As the train moved noiselessly out we saw her at a window of her 
saloon, and the faces of the children, grave, like those of every one 



OSBORNE AND BALMORAL 183 

else, looked out from the following carriage. As the train disap- 
peared down the valley, the royal standard dropped. 

The Queen's is not a fast train. Thirty-five miles an hour is 
its maximum. It used to be preceded by a pilot engine ; but of late 
years a new system has been adopted. There are ordinarily three 
men at work on the line in every one and a half miles. These are 
turned for the time into signalmen, and wherever necessary addi- 
tional men are placed. Each one is supplied with a white and red 
flag. They are so stationed that, together, they command the line, 
and as the train approaches each shows his white flag if all is clear ; 
should there be any obstruction, he shows the red. When night 
comes on lanterns are substituted for flags, the white light for 
safety, the red for danger. So that really every foot of the line 
from Balmoral, or rather Ballater, to Windsor, is under supervision 
as the royal train moves on. 

About three hours after the special, the train left conveying 
the horses, donkeys, ponies and carriages — eight horse-trucks, with 
three boxes in each and a compartment for the man in charge, and 
four carriage-trucks. The horses were blanketed and guarded as 
to their legs, the donkeys remonstrating after their fashion to 
the embarkation. There was a carriage for the hostlers and addi- 
tional servants, and all were under the charge of the head coach- 
man, Sands, a typical English coachman of extensive breadth, 
who might have stepped out from among his jolly compeers in 
' Pickwick.' 



CHAPTER XI 

The Busy Woman 

THERE was probably no one, no woman at least, in all her 
Empire whose days were more completely filled with suc- 
cessive duties than those of the Queen of Great Britain. 
For she had not only her own private family and the management 
of her Balmoral and Osborne estates to look after, but also her 
large family of subjects. And in neither did she throw the respon- 
sibility on her agents. It is said of her that no living statesman 
was so thoroughly conversant with the workings of every depart- 
ment — of every cog, one may say — in the vast governmental 
machine as the Queen. And every detail in regard to the manage- 
ment of her private estates was laid before her. 

The Queen was an early riser, that is, early as regarded from 
the English upper-class standpoint, who in their lives turn night 
into day. And she frequently chose to breakfast at a certain small 
cottage in the near neighborhood of the Castle. 

This cottage was originally a gardener's cottage, and is built of 
lath and plaster, and was intended merely for temporary use. But 
the Queen took a fancy to it, and used it for some years. It con- 
sists of three rooms, in one of which the Queen breakfasted, and 
in the largest of which she wrote. The walls of the latter room 
are lined with Balmoral tartan, a tartan designed by Prince Albert. 
It makes a softly dark grey background slightly tinted with red. 

On this background hang family photographs and portraits in 
black and white of a somewhat earlier date. You would especially 
remark one of the Duchess of Kent, the Queen's mother, to whom 
the nation owed so much for the wise and judicious training of her 
daughter. There is an engraving of John Brown with the dogs at 

184 



THE BUSY WOMAN 185 

Osborne, and photographs of the favorite coolies "Noble" and 
" Sharp." And, what would immediately attract a bookish eye, 
there is Cassell's admirable National Library in its compact little 
shelves upon a cabinet in one corner. A plain room, plainly fur- 
nished, with large round table for writing, and more suggestive of 
home than public life, but, for that matter, the whole atmosphere of 
Balmoral is homely. One end of this room is so made that it can 
be entirely thrown open, giving that open-air feeling of which the 
Oueen was so fond. The cottage itself is secluded, screened from 
the Castle by intervening shrubberies, and looking out on smooth 
lawns and secluded paths bordered by quite primeval woods. 

THE QUEEN'S DAILY LIFE 

The Queen was fond of a quiet spot like this in which to work. 
At Osborne she had a summer-house, and at Windsor she resorted 
to a tent upon the lawn of Frogmore House. And even when she 
was temporarily at a place, as at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, 
which stands in anything but a secluded spot, she contrived, with 
the help of screens and umbrellas, a place to write in the open air. 

When the Queen was at Balmoral two extra trains were run 
up and down Deeside, called the Queen's messenger trains. These 
bore dispatches to and from London. The up train arrived at 5 
o'clock a.m., and, to attend to these dispatches after they had been 
sorted by her private secretary, was a part of the morning's busi- 
ness. There were innumerable papers to sign, and the simple dry- 
ing of the signatures was no small task. In this she was assisted 
by her personal attendant, Francie Clark, who was always at hand. 
The dispatches were returned upon the 4 o'clock messenger express. 
At 11 a.m. came the Balmoral mail, for which a messenger was 
always in waiting at the station with a fast horse and a yellow- 
bodied gig stamped with the invariable V.R. 

In looking over the newspapers the Queen intimated whatever 
she would like preserved, and it was one of the duties of the ward- 
robe maids to cut such paragraphs out and paste them into an 

11 



1 86 THE BUSY WOMAN 

album supplied for this purpose. And innumerable were the 
albums that grew out of this habit. The cutting was not neces- 
sarily concerning a matter of public interest, or any distinguished 
individual. It may be simply a neighborhood incident, like the 
drowning of the young soldier of her guard in the summer of 1891, 
or the gift to a parish minister from his people. The date was 
always affixed to these cuttings, so that when the Queen asked for 
the date of such and such an occurrence it could be readily found. 

The Queen also had a small moveable house or room made, 
put together with screw bolts. It could be readily taken apart and 
set wherever it pleased her to command, within sound of the voice 
of Dee, or on some sunny lawn, or in the shade of a spreading 
tree. It was about twelve feet square, and could be opened on the 
four sides or closed, just as the occupant desired, being furnished 
with sliding walls after the fashion of a Japanese house. 

In late years the Queen was no longer able to walk about the 
estate as she used to do. A woman, who was a little girl in the 
days when Prince Albert, too, came to Deeside, has told a little inci- 
dent, trivial in itself, but throwing light upon the daily life and 
ways of that time. 

She, little Mary, in company with her brother Kenneth, was 
helping her neighbor Maggie to herd the cows. Their business was 
to see that the cows did not get at the corn ; but they, being intent 
on play, the cows were soon left to Kenneth's herding, who was a 
little lad of five. When at last the cows were discovered feeding 
upon the corn, Maggie, true to that instinct which impels every son 
and daughter of Adam to look about for a scapegoat for his or her 
own sins, fell upon Kenneth, scolding him volubly for neglecting to 
look after the cows. 

In the midst of her tirade she heard a voice call " Maggie ! " 
and, looking up, saw the Queen and Prince Albert in a path upon 
the hillside above. Maggie hesitated, but again the clear voice of 
the Queen called " Maggie ! " and reluctantly Maggie went for- 
ward. 



THE BUSY WOMAN 187 

"Maggie," she said, kindly, "you should remember that Ken- 
neth is a little boy, and does not understand about keeping the 
cows off the corn. It would be a better way to put up a string so 
they cannot get at it." 

The children were inwardly amused at the idea of a string 
being a sufficient guard, but, mindful of what was due to the 
Queen, did not smile. Not so Prince Albert, who laughed heartily 
at her, and the two walked merrily off together. 

"The Prince," adds the story teller, "liked to walk about in 
that way, with the Queen on his arm, just all by themselves, and 
with no attendants and no fuss." 

And there were climbs over the hills, and rough, mossy ground, 
and walks about the wood, the Prince catching sight of deer per- 
haps, and starting in pursuit with his gun, the Queen waiting and 
sketching. When they first came to Balmoral the Queen " ran 
about everywhere," says an old servant. She "went up to the top 
of Craig Gowan every day, except on the day of the Braemar 
£ames." 

And every Sunday came a little family walk, the Prince and 
Queen and all the children together. This treat was looked for- 
ward to with great delight. " Grant," or whatever the servant's 
name, the children would say, "to-morrow is Sunday, and we are 
all going to walk with papa and mamma." 

But all that is long past. The Queen in her last weeks went 
about the grounds in her garden chair — a basket chair, with 
thick rubber bands on the wheels for ease and smoothness of 
motion. Francie Clark led the pony or donkey, and the dogs went 
with her in charge of the dogmen — " Roy" and " Marco " and the 
rest. The little beasties did not accompany her in her long drives, 
though " Sharp " used occasionally to break away and follow till 
he caught up her carriage, to return sitting proudly by his royal 
mistress' side. 

The Queen drove morning and afternoon. She drove very 
fast, and, as she did not care to drive habitually with four horses, 



1 88 THE BUSY WOMAN 

and as she is good to her animals, she had a change of horses in 
readiness at certain stations. If she drove to Ballater, eight miles, 
a pair of horses were sent down to the hotel stables some time 
before. The horses taken out of the carriage there were groomed, 
fed, and rested before being taken back. The same was done when 
she drove up to Braemar, also eight miles, and then on to the Linn 
of Dee, where the carriage road up the valley comes to an end. 

Formerly she used to take all-day drives across country, finding 
great refreshment in this progress through wild, solitary glens, by 
broad, still moors, and within sound of rushing waters from burn 
and brooklet. But all that was given up with advancing years, 
together with the picnics when her children were younger, when 
John Brown boiled the tea-kettle gipsy fashion in shelter of some 
cairn or cliff, and they drank their tea amid the rosy heather. 

Though the Queen loved her solitary drives and walks at 
Balmoral, yet here, as elsewhere, she occasionally graciously showed 
herself to her eager people. On Saturday, which was the great 
excursion day into the valley, she oftentimes drove, and chose 
her road, so as to meet the crowded brakes. She doubtless 
enjoyed the sight of these her people taking their pleasure, and 
they were simply delighted to see her. As they drove up to the 
station to take the train you hear them on all sides : 

" We saw the Queen ! " 

" We met the Queen !" 

Apparently that incident was the crowning pleasure of the day. 

In her daily drive she called to inquire for any ailing tenant, 
or, if death had visited any cottage, to express her sympathy, 

To one of her old women whom she had been in the habit of 
visiting yearly, she sent word one year (1892) that, as the Queen 
was not able to go and see her, she must come and see the Queen. 

Sometimes there was an unexpected call upon her time and 
sympathy, as when the young soldier of her guard was drowned. 
He was salmon-fishing, and slipped in some way and struck his 
head so that he was stunned and unable to save himself, though 



THE BUSY WOMAN 191 

the river in that place was shallow. The Queen drove to the bar- 
racks to the funeral service, bringing a wreath to place with her 
own hands upon his coffin. And as the train moved away, bearing 
to his mother her dead son, she stopped her carriage upon the rail- 
way bridge and watched it out of sight down the valley. 

And in studying the life and character of the Queen, one is 
struck with her domesticity. One feels that had she been born in 
a private station she would have been one of the most domestic of 
women, a true housewife. 

HER MAJESTY'S SERVANTS 

Of all her Majesty's personal servants, none has been better 
known to the world at large than her late faithful Highland attend- 
ant, John Brown. He and his forbears before him were natives of 
Deeside. His father lived at " The Bush," a farm opposite Bal- 
moral on the north side of the Dee. 

Prince Albert found John Brown at the stables, discerned his 
excellent qualities, and gave him the post of gillie. After serving 
in that capacity for some time, he was promoted to the responsible 
service of leading the Queen's pony in their mountaineering expe- 
ditions. The pony was to be led when the ground was at all roup-h 
or bad, across ferries, or when it was desirable to get on faster ; the 
leader in the latter case running by the pony's side in a steady trot. 

He, together with John Grant, another old and valued servant, 
always accompanied the Queen and Prince in those delightful 
incognito excursions in which the Prince took such pleasure, a 
pleasure heartily shared by her -Majesty. 

The Queen herself writes of the two, that they were "discreet, 
careful, intelligent, attentive, ready to do what is wanted ; the latter 
{ Brown) particularly, is handy and willing to do anything and every- 
thing, to overcome every difficulty, which makes him one of the 
best of servants everywhere." 

And so, step by step, by faithful performance of every duty, 
by unswerving integrity, by a single-mindedness that seems to be a 



i 9 2 THE BUSY WOMAN 

characteristic of his race, the Highland Celt, John Brown, at last 
gained an honored place in his Royal Mistress' esteem. 

His old acquaintance in the valley say good things of him. 

" Favorite servants, as a general thing," said a Highlander, 
"gain their high places by underhand practices ; by catering to the 
weaknesses or follies of their employers. But John Brown wasn't 
that kind of a man. He was honest to bluntness ; spoke his mind 
risfht out to high and low." 

There was never any doubt as to what honest John Brown 
thought of a thing, a trait of character her Majesty was fully capable 
of appreciating. 

It was John Bright, I think, who said of the Queen that she 
was the most absolutely straightforward and truthful person he had 
ever known. Being such, she naturally looks for and desires the 
same truthfulness in those about her. 

His fellow-servants all liked John Brown, and speak well of 
him. He was always ready to do them any service. 

" No humbug about him," says one who was long associated 
with him. 

This bluntness was not likely, however, to commend him to 
every one. People who speak out their minds concerning men and 
measures are not generally popular. To render oneself univer- 
sally agreeable, it is necessary to prophesy smooth things. 

And John Brown, doubtless, spoke his mind to his Royal Mis- 
tress at times as well as to others. In fact, tradition declares that 
he did. Did her Majesty appear in a comfortable old cloak, her 
faithful servant might say, with a bluntness that would send a 
shiver down the back of a trained and obsequious courtier, "And 
what is that thing you've got on the day ?" 

And there is a little story of how one time her Majesty was 
sketching at the Glassalt Shiel, and no table could be supplied of 
the exact height required. One after another was sent out to the 
waiting Queen, and one after another they were sent back. A 
cloud seemed to darken the royal atmosphere, as so often happens 



THE BUSY WOMAN i 93 

in the case of ordinary mortals. In fact, there is a singular uni- 
formity in human nature. The last table was sent back ; the shiel 
could supply no more, and in their despair the servants appealed to 
John Brown. What should they do ? 

He picked up one of the rejected tables, carried it out, and 
set it down with his usual prompt emphasis before his Royal Mis- 
tress. She looked up. 

" They canna mak' one for you," said honest John Brown. 

The Queen laughed ; the cloud dispersed, and that table proved 
to be the exact height for sketching. 

This bluntness of both speech and manner came in excellent 
play when he was called upon to repress impertinence. As, for 
instance, at one time, when one of the Queen's horses fell lame at 
Ballater, and the pair were taken out while the carriage waited in 
the square for a fresh relay. The Queen remained in her carriage, 
and the visitors — it was summer — soon began to gather about, 
keeping, however, at a decently respectful distance, with the 
exception of one woman. She, possessed with that curiosity 
which apparently knows no limit but its own gratification, came up, 
and, leaning upon the carriage, stared directly in the Queen's face. 
Her Majesty lowered her umbrella before her, but, luckily, at that 
moment John Brown appeared, and with a wide sweep of his arm, 
and in his roughest tone and manner, warned off the intruder. 

" Be off there ! be off there ! away with you ! " Really one 
feels that anything else, any courtier-like grace of manner, would 
have been wholly out of place. 

" I believe," said the same old fellow-servant who had declared 
there was " no humbug" in John Brown, " I believe he would have 
stood between the Queen and a bullet any day." And his loyalty 
was unimpeachable. It was the loyalty of the Highlands. Every 
one has read or been told how, when Prince Charlie was in hiding, 
with many thousand pounds upon his head, not one of his faithful 
Highlanders would betray him, though they were living in abject 
poverty in their wretched huts. 



1 94 THE BUSY WOMAN 

In the Castle Park, not far from the cottage where the Queen 
writes, stands a life-size statue in bronze, by Boehm, of this faithful 
servant. The likeness is excellent, I am told by those who knew 
him. It is a rugged, shrewd, kindly face, with a smile half-break- 
ing through. It is so like, affirms an old cottager, that it makes 
her feel creepy to look at it — as though he might speak the next 
moment ; and, she adds, with a touch of Highland superstition, 
that she would not like to pass it after dark ! 

He is in the ordinary Highland dress which he wore in daily 
attendance upon the Queen. Upon his breast are two medals; one 
for long and faithful service, the other for saving the Queen's life 
when, on February 29, 1872, a young man rushed up to her car- 
riage in Buckingham Palace Gardens with a petition and pistol in 
his hands. 

John Brown lies in the little kirkyard at Crathie, a green, well- 
kept spot, not far from the Castle gate, but on the opposite side of 
the Dee. In the centre stands the picturesque, ivy-clad ruins of a 
small kirk. His grave is marked by a plain headstone of native 
granite, placed there by the Queen. A thistle is carved in the 
pediment, and it is bordered with oak and ivy leaves in low relief. 
The following is the inscription : 

This Stone is Erected 

in affectionate 

and grateful remembrance of 

JOHN BROWN, 

Personal Attendant 

and Beloved Friend of 

QUEEN VICTORIA, 

in whose service he had been 

for 34 years. 

Born at Craithenaird, 8th December, 1825. 
Died at Windsor Castle, 27TH March, 1883. 

" That Friend on whose fidelity you count, that friend given to you by 
circumstances over which you have no control, was God's own gift." 



THE BUSY WOMAN 195 

Her Majesty's two wardrobe maids, who were with her now 
many years, are natives of the estates of Balmoral and Birkhall. 

In her Majesty's household, her Indian Empire was repre- 
sented by her Indian Secretary, Abdul Karim, and her personal 
Indian attendant. The Munshi, with whom her Majesty studied 
Hindustanee, was liked at Balmoral for his amiability of character. 
These Indians lived in a part of the Castle especially devoted to 
their use, and where their food was cooked by their native servant. 
And a fine odor of curry was said to pervade that section even in 
their absence. 

She gave her Balmoral servants — which term includes grieves, 
keepers, etc. — a great pleasure at the time the Colonial Exhibition 
was in progress in London, a pleasure still talked over among them, 
She invited them in relays of eight or ten for a ten days' stay at 
Windsor Castle. During that time they not only visited the exhi- 
bition, but many of the numberless places of interest in London, a 
competent guide being supplied. 

The Queen was patient with her maids, though she liked no 
better than the rest of us to tell over and over what she wished 
done. Her justice could always be relied upon. If a grievance could 
be brought to her knowledge, redress was sure. She was not easily 
deceived. Did she once get a clue, she probed to the bottom ; 
absolute truthfulness was insisted upon ; no subterfuges tolerated. 
Deceived where she had trusted, she "did not easily forgive; but 
at the last she forgave." She did not bestow her confidence at 
once ; she reserved her judgment. Such were some of the royal 
traits hinted at in conversations ; personal opinions formed by obser- 
vation and knowledge by those who knew her best. 



CHAPTER XII 

Journeys in Foreign Lands 

THE first visit paid by an English Sovereign to France , since 
Henry VIII. and Francis I. met on the Field of the Cloth 
of Gold, was when Queen Victoria crossed on September 
ist, 1843, to T report, in Normandy, to stay with Louis Philippe 
and his family at Chateau D' Eu. 

On the passage over, the following incident took place on 
board the new royal yacht, Victoria and Albert. Her Majesty had 
just been remarking what a comfortable seat she had selected for 
herself on deck, in a place protected by the paddle-box, when con- 
siderable commotion was observed among the sailors. The Queen, 
much puzzled, asked what was the matter, and inquired whether 
there was going to be a mutiny. The captain laughed, but remarked 
that he really did not know what would happen unless her Majesty 
would be graciously pleased to remove her seat. 

" Move my seat," said the Queen ; "why should I ? What pos- 
sible harm can I be doing here?" 

"Well, ma'am," said Lord Adolphus, "the fact is, your 
Majesty is unwittingly closing up the door of the place where the 
grog tubs are kept, and so the men cannot have their grog ! " 

" Oh, very well," said the Queen, " I will move on condition 
that you bring me a glass of grog." 

This was accordingly done, and after tasting it, the Queen 
said : " It would be very good if it were stronger ! " a remark which 
delighted the men. 

Louis Philippe had been a personal friend of the Duke of 
Kent, and for this and other reasons her Majesty received an effu- 
sive welcome. The bluff-looking Citizen King came on board the 
196 



JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 19 7 

yacht, caught up the little English Sovereign, kissed her on both 
cheeks, and carried her on to a splendid barge provided with a crim- 
son silk awning. 

There were every day of the Queen's stay drives in char-a- 
bancs into the neighboring forest, ending in dejeuners and fetes- 
champetres. These she enjoyed heartily, both because they were 
novel to her, and because they were spontaneous and untrammelled. 
" So pretty, so merry, so rural !" she declared. " Like the fetes in 
Germany," Prince Albert said — the long, frequently rough drives 
under the yellowing trees in the golden September light, the camp- 
chairs, the wine in plain bottles, the improvised kitchen hidden 
among the bushes, the many young people of high rank all so gay, 
the King full of liveliness and brusqueness, his Queen all mother- 
liness and consideration — everything was delightful. 

This excursion was followed by one to Belgium, when the old 
cities of Flanders put on their fairest array, and the staid inhabi- 
tants were stirred up to joyous enthusiasm. 

FIRST VISIT TO GERMANY 

Speaking of her first visit to Germany, in August, 1845, her 
Majesty said long afterwards that it made her inclined to cry, so 
pure and tender had been the pleasure. How could this have been 
otherwise, considering that at Rosenau Castle she slept in the room 
in which her Albert had been born, and was shown by him " the 
tiny little bedroom " where he and his brother used to sleep ? At 
Aix-la-Chapelle the King of Prussia received the visitors, and 
accompanied them to Cologne. Here the inhabitants did their 
best to get rid of the unsavory odors for which their town is infa- 
mous by pouring eau-de-Cologne on the roadways. The Rhine was 
made one vast feu-de-joie by reason of blazing rafts, rockets, and 
musketry. We can well believe her Majesty when she says that 
Bonn University, which was her husband's alma mater, interested 
her much. At Gotha there was an open-air masque, in which arti- 
sans and peasants played parts, and the royal personages mixed 



1 98 JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 

with them, dancing, laughing, talking, and pelting the children with 
Mowers, cakes, and bonbons. " They were," wrote Queen Victoria, 
" quite poor children, and yet so well dressed in nice, clean things 
(their Sunday dress) ; and this is because they are peasants, and 
do not aspire to be more. Oh, if our people would only dress 
like peasants, and not go about in flimsy faded silk bonnets and 
shawls." 

THE QUEEN VISITS PARIS 

In August, 1856, the Queen again crossed to France and 
visited the Emperor Napoleon in Paris. The occasion was memor- 
able from the fact that it was the first time an English Sovereign 
had been in the capital of France since 1422, when the infant 
Henry IV. was crowned in that city. In a drive which she took 
with the Emperor she explained her friendly attitude toward the 
Orleans family, which it had been said would displease the Empe- 
ror. She told him that they were her friends and relations, and 
that she could not abandon them in their adversity, though politics 
were never touched upon between her and them. The Emperor 
understood the situation and accepted the explanation. Prince 
Albert's birthday was celebrated in the course of her visit, and the 
Emperor gave him a picture by Meissonier, and the Empress a 
mounted cup carved in ivory. 

The Emperor did his utmost to make the visit agreeable to 
his royal guest, showing her all that was memorable and attractive 
in his beautiful city. Balls of surpassing splendor were given in 
Paris and Versailles. There was a grand review of troops in the 
Champ de Mars, when the Queen regretted that she had not been 
on horseback, though the day was not fine. From the review the 
visitors drove to the Hotel des Invalides to see the tomb of the 
first Napoleon. " There," says her Majesty, " I stood, at the arm 
of Napoleon III.,. his nephew, before the coffin of England's bit- 
terest foe, I, the granddaughter of that king who hated him most, 
and who most vigorously opposed him, and this very nephew, who 
bears his name, being my nearest and dearest ally." 





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JO URNE YS IN FOREIGN LANDS 20 1 

In her "Diary" the Queen records her deep gratitude for 
"these eight happy days ; " and the little Prince of Wales liked 
Paris so much that he tried to persuade the Empress to retain him 
and his sister after the departure of his royal parents. The Empress 
said that she could not do so, as the Queen and his father could not 
spare them. " Oh, yes," the Prince told the amused lady, " they 
can ; there are six more at home." 

Another visit was paid in 1858 by the Queen to the Emperor 
and Empress at Cherbourg. Towards sunset of a lovely day the 
Victoria and Albert ran into the harbor, and her Majesty, always 
thinking of her country's needs, wrote : " It makes me very unhappy 
to see what is done here, and how well protected the works are, for 
the forts and the breakwater (which is treble the size of the Ply- 
mouth one) are extremely well defended. The works at Alderney, 
by way of counterdefence, look childish." 

After a State dinner, there were speeches, a description of 
which by the Queen we quote, as it shows what a very sympathetic 
wife she was : " The Emperor made an admirable speech, in a 
powerful voice, proposing my health and those of Albert and the 
royal family. Then, after the band had played, came the dreadful 
moment for my dear husband, which was terrible to me, and which 
I should never wish to go through again. He did it very well, 
though he hesitated once. I sat shaking, with my eyes riveted to 
the table. This over, we got up, and the Emperor in the cabin 
shook Albert by the hand, and we all talked of the terrible ' emo- 
tion ' we had undergone, the Emperor himself having ' changed 
color,' and the Empress having also been very nervous. I shook 
so I could not drink my cup of coffee." 

In 1867 the Queen received two illustrious visitors at Windsor, 
the Queen of Prussia, and the Sultan of Turkey, the latter of 
whom was entertained with lavish hospitality. Later came the 
Empress of France to visit her at Osborne. In August her Majesty 
left England on a visit to Switzerland, traveling incognito as the 
Countess of Kent. On her way she stopped for a day or two at 



202 JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 

the English Embassy, Paris, where the Empress Eugenie called 
upon her. 

This visit is worthy of mention from the fact that three years 
afterwards the Empress became a fugitive from France, and a 
resident at Chislehurst, England, where the Queen called to see 
her, and no doubt made kind efforts to soften the bitterness of her 
exile. In the following year the Emperor, released by his German 
captors, came to reside with his wife at Chislehurst, and the Queen 
again visited that place of royal refuge, accompanied by Prince 
Leopold. The Emperor was much downcast by his misfortunes, 
and was suffering both in body and mind, but this manifestation of 
friendship greatly touched him. He was the third royal fugitive 
from France who had sought a home in England during the 
century. 

FIRST VISIT TO THE CROWN PRINCESS 

Her Majesty frequently went abroad to see her children after 
they had married and made their homes on the Continent. Of her 
first visit to the Crown Princess she writes : " There on the plat- 
form stood our darling child, with a nosegay in her hand. . . . and 
long and warm was the embrace as she clasped me in her arms ; 
so much to say and to ask, quite the old Vicky still." 

In 1869 the Queen again went to Switzerland, traveling incog- 
nito, as she frequently preferred to do, as the Countess of Kent. 
She also made trips to the south of France, and was greatly pleased 
with Mentone, and the kindness there shown to her. One day an 
old man tried to throw a bouquet of wild flowers (very beautiful 
they are at Mentone) into the royal carriage, but missed it, and 
the blossoms fell in the road. The Queen at once stopped the 
carriage for the giver to pick them up and present them, receiving 
them with a nod and a smile of welcome. 

Italy became a favorite country to the Queen, and she espe- 
cially enjoyed Florence, largely from the fact that it had been a 
favorite place to Prince Albert. She made several visits to that 
city, where she spent her mornings there at times in the picture 



JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 203 

galleries, through whose rooms she was moved in a wheeled chair ; 
at times in the park, where she enjoyed taking an airing. Lunch fol- 
lowed, and after it the drive, which was rendered less agreeable by 
the crowd which gathered to see her. One of these drives is thus 
described : 

" The road in front of the Villa Fabricotti is becoming- crowded 
with English and Italians, for it is nearly four o'clock, and the 
Queen is expected. After some time, wheels are heard. All stand 
up to make their obeisance, when a turbaned Indian drives out of 
the gate in a carriage with some mysterious leather boxes on the 
front seat, which everybody now knows contains the Queen's tea 
equipage ; only this, and nothing more. At length an outrider 
appears, and after him a carriage, in which one sees, as it quickly 
passes, a black parasol, a white hat and veil, and, beside the lady 
thus distinguished, the outline of another presence. 

" Her Majesty likes to drive into the country among the vine- 
yards. She visits village churches, talks to the priests, looks at 
their quaint processions, and accepts flowers from the children. She 
has been seen driving along with an outrider in spotless state 
before her, but a ragged boy, if not two, coiled round the carriage 
bar behind ! After one of these continental tours, the writer visited 
the place, and was told by some of the people that they had no 
fear of her Majesty, and that she gave no trouble. It was the dig- 
nity of the Indian servants that overawed them." 

The places in which the Queen spent her holidays never failed 
to receive some substantial favor in remembrance. On one of her 
late visits to Florence, for instance, she left 6,000 francs for the 
poor and a contribution to the English church. A gold snuff-box 
was presented to the chief of police, scarf-pins to the other officers, 
a rich present to the postmaster, and 100 francs to each of the 
mounted guards who had ridden beside the Queen's carriage in her 
afternoon drives. 

Of the Queen's visits to the Continent there was one that had 
in it the elements of a domestic drama, and which is worthy of 



2o 4 JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 

being told at greater length. It occurred in 1884, and was attended 
by a decided manifestation of Queen Victoria's strength of will and 
the arbitrary disposition which developed in her as she grew older. 
The first act in the drama was the death on December 14, 1878, of 
the Princess Alice, Victoria's second daughter, and wife of the 
Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt. 

AN EXCITING DRAMA 

After the death of his wife, the Grand Duke seems to have 
paid much attention to Madame de Kalomine, wife of the Russian 
charge d affairs at Darmstadt. This handsome woman had given 
her husband no little trouble, he having already had to fight three 
duels on her account. The Grand Duke's admiration led to a scene 
in which the lady herself was the sufferer. Warned by an anony- 
mous letter, he met her as she was riding home alone from a tete-a- 
tete promenade with the Grand Duke in the Heiligenberg woods, 
and accused her of being the paramour of the sovereign at whose 
Court he was accredited ; he lashed her face repeatedly with his 
riding-whip, causing her horse to bolt. Falling from her saddle 
and slightly injured, she was carried home, and remained confined 
three weeks to her bed with an attack of brain fever. On her 
recovery she found that in consequence of a private telegram from 
the Grand Duke her husband had been recalled, and had been 
dispatched on a special mission to Japan. 

About a week after Mme. de Kalomines' recovery the Grand 
Duke visited her, and having declared his love, urged her to ask 
for a divorce on the ground of her husband's ill-treatment, and 
afterward to marry him. Louis IV. of Hesse-Darmstadt, who was 
then only a little over forty years old, was still one of the hand- 
somest and finest specimens of manhood in Europe, and it was not 
difficult for him to persuade her to separate from M. de Kalomine, 
who, with his correctly-trimmed whiskers, short, stout figure, and 
generally graceless appearance, presented but a sorry contrast to 
the Grand Duke. 



JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 205 

Ten months later, in the spring of 1884, Mme. de Kalomine 
obtained her divorce, and the date on which she was free to marry 
again fell just two days before that fixed for the wedding of Prin- 
cess Victoria of Hesse to Prince Louis of Battenberg. Mme. de 
Kalomine lived so retired and quietly during the whole time that 
although the Grand Duke's admiration for her was whispered 
about the city, nobody dreamed that anything serious was about to 
happen. 

The day before the arrival of Queen Victoria to attend the 
wedding of her granddaughter, Mme. de Kalomine entreated thf 
Grand Duke to hesitate before finally uniting himself to her. She 
had fears as to the future, and reminded him that Queen Victoria 
was most anxious that he should marry Princess Beatrice as soon 
as ever the " Deceased Wife's Sister Bill" had been passed in the 
English Parliament. The Grand Duke smilingly remarked in reply 
that his respected mother-in-law would know nothing about the 
matter until after the ceremony, when it would be too late for any 
kind of obstruction. 

On the following day Queen Victoria reached Darmstadt with 
Princess Beatrice. At length the day — April 30, 18S4 — fixed for 
the marriage of Princess Victoria arrived. The wedding was to 
take place without much pomp and ceremony in the evening. At 
1 1 o'clock on the morning of the same day the secret marriage 
between the Grand Duke and Mme. de Kalomine took place in the 
Palace Chapel. The only persons present were the Ministers of 
Justice and of the Interior. At the moment of the benediction a 
terrible thunder-storm appeared to predict troubles and sorrows to 
the newly-married couple, who immediately retired to the very 
room used by the late Princess Alice as her boudoir, where they 
remained several hours, while the old Minister of the Interior 
guarded the door, frightened out of his wits lest the Queen should 
notice her son-in-law's prolonged absence. 

At 5 o'clock the grand ceremony of Princess Victoria's mar- 
riage took place. The royal cortege entered the chapel, the Grand 

12 



206 JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 

Duke leading his daughter, the Queen following alone, then Prin- 
cess Beatrice, and following her the Crown Prince and Princess of 
Germany, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Battenberg 
family, etc. 

ALMOST A SCANDAL 

The Queen was not present at the subsequent State banquet, 
preferring to dine alone with her younger grandchildren. Sud- 
denly, about 1 1 o'clock at night, when she was about to retire to 
rest, the Crown Prince of Germany arrived and demanded an im- 
mediate audience on matters of the very highest importance. The 
Queen, frightened by the agitation depicted on his countenance, 
exclaimed, "Good heavens v Fritz, what has happened?" In a few 
words he informed her of the secret marriage which had taken 
place in the morning. On hearing this the Queen uttered a ter- 
rible cry. What ! the husband of her favorite daughter Alice had 
dared to desecrate the memory of his dead wife by marrying a 
divorced woman — a mere nobody ! She became so red in the face and 
experienced such difficulty in getting her breath that the Crown 
Prince, fearing an apoplectic fit, was about to summon help, when 
she stopped him. " Where are they now ?'' she exclaimed. 

The Prince informed her that they had retired to rest over 
two hours ago. Furiously the old lady tore open her door, and 
was about to rush to the Grand Duke's apartments, when the 
Crown Prince, foreseeing the scandal which would ensue, held her 
back by main force until she had become a little more calm. She 
then decided to summon the Grand Duke to her presence. 

The latter was suddenly awakened from his sweet slumbers by 
the knocking at the door of a chamberlain, who, in trembling 
i accents, informed his master that the Queen insisted on his appear- 
ance before her at once. His wife, very rightly fearing the worst, 
clung to him in despair, crying that she would never see him again. 
Her husband soothed her with promises as best he could, and 
twenty minutes later stood in the presence of his irate mother-in- 
law, with whom were gathered the Crown Prince and Princess of 



JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 207 

Germany, Princess Beatrice, and his own Ministers of Foreign 
Affairs and of Justice whom the Queen had summoned. 

"You must drive that horrible woman away this very night," 
exclaimed the latter, " and you must sign this decree of expulsion 
which I have already had drawn up by your Ministers. Good God ! 
if I could drive the creature out of the place with my own hands," 
shrieked the Queen frantically. The Grand Duke, who, although 
a giant in stature, was blessed with the weakest of characters, and 
had absolutely no strength of mind, after some hesitation gave way 
to his mother-in-law's wrath and signed the document. 

His bride, who, notwithstanding her fright, had finally dropped 
off to sleep, was awakened about two hours later by the disa- 
greeable old grand-mistress of the robes, who communicated to her 
in the most offensive manner possible the royal decree of expul- 
sion and stated that she had orders not to leave her until she left 
the Palace. The unfortunate woman, on seeing her husband's signa- 
ture to the document, understood that she was forsaken by the 
man who, but a few hours previously, had sworn to love and protect 
her. While she was hurriedly dressing, with the assistance of her 
Russian maid, a post-chaise, with an escort of about forty mounted 
police, stopped at the nearest door of the Palace, and she was 
hustled into it and rapidly driven to the nearest frontier. The 
only person to wish her God-speed was the old nurse of Princess 
Elizabeth (subsequent Grand Duchess Serge of Russia), who con- 
veyed messages of sympathy and affection from her young mistress 
to the unfortunate woman, and brought to her the Princess' own 
rug, as the night was bitterly cold. As she drove away she caught 
a glimpse of the pale face of her husband peering out from the 
window, while at the next she perceived the angry face of the 
Queen. 

The ex-Mme. de Kalomine took refuge at a convent just 
across the frontier. Two days later a Royal messenger arrived 
bearing a written offer on the part of the Grand Duke to create 
her Countess of Romrod, and to confer on her the estate of the 



io8 JOURNEYS IN FOREIGN LANDS 

same name, on the condition that she would surrender all .her rights 
as wife of the sovereign, and never again set foot within his 
dominions. 

She contented herself with returning the letter with an 
indorsement to the effect "that the Grand Duke's wife is not pre- 
pared to sell her rights." Summoning the leader of the opposition 
party at Darmstadt, who happened to be a very clever lawyer, she 
placed the whole matter in his hands. The latter commenced by 
having a certified copy of the marriage, with the Grand Duke's 
signature, published in all the German papers, and then proceeded 
to defend his client in the action for divorce, on the ground of 
incompatibility of temper, which the Grand Duke had brought 
against her. So cleverly was she defended, that the action was 
about to fall to the ground, when, at the last moment, the presid- 
ing Judge, won over by the promise of a much coveted title of 
nobility, suddenly remembered that the Grand Duke held a com- 
mand in the German army, and that officers are not allowed to 
marry without the Emperor's permission. On these preposterous 
grounds the marriage was declared annulled and illegal and the 
divorce decreed. 

Immediately after the expulsion of the newly-married wife the 
Queen carried her recreant son-in-law off to England, and took him 
to Balmoral, keeping him there for over three months. By that 
time he had got over any feelings of regret for his beautiful wife. 
The whole story was afterwards told in a book, entitled " Roi de 
Tfiessalie" supposed to be written by the doubly divorced woman 
herself, in which the characters were transparently veiled under 
fictitious names whose significance was evident. 




PRINCE ALBERT DEER-STALKING IN THE HIGHLANDS 




PRINCE ALBERT HUNTING NEAR BELVOIR CASTLE 



CHAPTER XIII 

Notable Events in the Queen's Life 

HE long reign of the Queen was marked by many notable 
events which, although we may not give them separate treat- 
ment, yet deserve limited mention ; for she and her Ministers 
spent many anxious hours in seeking to wisely guide the course of 
events. A few of these we sketch in this chapter, and at such length 
as will give a clear understanding of each. 

AN ABSURD SYSTEM OF POSTAL SERVICE 

When Victoria ascended the throne, the postal system was an 
absurdity. The rates of postage were high and various. They 
varied both as to distance and as to the weight and even the size 
or the shape of a letter. The London postal district was a 
separate branch of the postal department and the charge for 
the transmission of letters was made on a different scale in London 
from that which prevailed between town and town. Then if the 
letter were written on more than one sheet of paper, it was subject 
to a higher scale of charge. But the worst evil was the privilege 
possessed by members of Parliament of franking letters to a certain 
limited extent, and by members of the government of franking to an 
unlimited extent. Franking was the right of sending letters through 
the post free of charge by merely writing one's name on the out- 
side. The privileged person could send both his own and any 
other's letters through the mail in this way. This simply meant 
that the letters nf the class who could best afford to pay for them 
went free of charge, and that those who could least afford to pay had 
to pay double, for they had to bear the expense of carrying their 
own letters and those of the privileged as well. 



212 NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 

The greatest grievances were felt everywhere because of this 
absurd system. It had, along with its other disadvantages, that of 
encouraging what may be called the smuggling of letters. Every- 
where sprang up organizations for the illicit conveyance of corre- 
spondence at lower rates than those imposed by the Government. 
The proprietors of almost every kind of public conveyance are 
said to have been engaged in this unlawful, but certainly not very 
unnatural or unjustifiable traffic. Five-sixths of all the letters sent 
between Manchester and London were said to have been conveyed 
for years by this process. One great mercantile house was proved 
to have been in the habit of sending sixty-seven letters by what we 
may call this underground postoffice, for every one on which they 
paid the government charges. Newspapers were marked with dots 
and other understood symbols, which conveyed a few general facts 
from the sender to the recipient. It was not merely to escape heavy 
cost that these stratagems were employed. As there was an 
additional charge when a letter was written on more sheets than one, 
there was a frequent and almost a constant tampering by officials 
with the sanctity of sealed letters for the purpose of ascertaining 
whether or not they ought to be taxed on the higher scale. 

A BETTER SYSTEM ESTABLISHED 

Mr. (afterward Sir) Rowland Hill is the man to whom Eng- 
land, and indeed all civilization, owes the adoption of a better sys- 
tem. When a little weakly child, he began to show a precocious 
love for arithmetical calculations. His favorite amusement was 
to lie on the hearthrug and count up figures by the hour together. 
As he grew up he became teacher of mathematics in his father's 
school. 

Afterward he was appointed secretary to the South Australian 
Commission, and rendered much valuable service in the oro-aniza- 
tion of the colony of South Australia. His early love of masses 
of figures it may have been that in the first instance turned his 
attention to the number of letters passing through the post-office, 






NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 213 

the proportion they bore to the number of the population, the cost 
of carrying- them, and the amount which the post-office authorities 
charged for the conveyance of a single letter. A picturesque and 
touching little illustration of the veritable hardships of the existing 
system seems to have quickened his interest in a reform of it. Miss 
Martineau thus tells the story : 

" Coleridge, when a young man, was walking through the lake 
district, when he one day saw the postman deliver a letter to a 
woman at a cottage door. The woman turned it over and 
examined it, and then returned it, saying she could not pay the 
postage, which was a shilling. Hearing that the letter was from 
her brother, Coleridge paid the postage, in spite of the manifest 
unwillingness of the woman. As soon as the postman was out of 
sight she showed Coleridge how his money had been wasted, as far 
as she was concerned. The sheet was blank. There was an agree- 
ment between her brother and herself that as long as all went well 
with him he should send a blank sheet in this way once a quarter ; 
and she thus had tidings of him without expense of postage. 
Most persons would have remembered this incident as a curious 
story to tell ; but there was one mind which wakened up at once 
to a sense of the significance of the fact. It struck Mr. Rowland 
Hill that there must be something wrong in a system which drove 
a brother and sister to cheating in order to gratify their desire to 
hear of one another's welfare." 

Mr. Hill gradually worked out for himself a comprehensive 
scheme of reform. He put it before the world early in 1837. 
The public were taken by surprise when the plan came before them 
in the shape of a pamphlet which its author modestly entitled 
" Post-office Reform ; its importance and practicability." The 
root of Mr. Hill's system lay in the fact, made evident by him 
beyond dispute, that the actual cost of the conveyance of letters 
through the post was very trifling, and was but little increased by 
the distance over which they had to be carried; 



2i 4 NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 

His proposal was therefore that the rates of postage should 
be diminished to the minimum ; that at the same time the speed of 
conveyance should be increased, and that there should be much 
greater frequency of despatch. His principal was, in fact, the very 
opposite of that which had prevailed in the calculations of the 
authorities. Their idea was that the higher the charge for letters 
the greater the return to the revenue. He started on the assump- 
tion that the smaller the charge the greater the profit. He there- 
fore recommended the substitution of a uniform charge of one 
penny (equal to two cents of our money) per half-ounce, without 
reference to the distance within the limits of the United Kingdom 
which the letter had to be carried. The plan met the uncompro- 
mising opposition of the post-office authorities but was finally 
authorized by Parliament in 1840, the only changes being the 
device of prepayment by stamps and the preservation of the frank- 
ing privilege for official letters sent on business directly belonging 
to her Majesty's service. 

Some idea of the effect it has produced upon the postal corre- 
spondence of the country may be gathered from the fact that in 
1839, tne l ast Y ear °f tne neav Y postage, the number of letters 
delivered in Great Britain and Ireland was a little more than 
eighty-two millions, which included some five millions and a half of 
franked letters returning nothing to the revenues of the country ; 
whereas, in 1900, more than a thousand millions of letters were 
delivered in the United Kingdom. The population during the 
same time had not nearly doubled itself. The principal of this 
reform has since been put into operation in every civilized country 
in the world and we shall probably see, before long, an inter-oceanic 
postage rate as low as the one people sometimes thought Sir Row- 
land Hill a madman for recommending for a small inland post. 

Few of us of the twentieth century, understand why it was 
that the 10th of April, 1848, was a memorable day in England. 
It marks the ignominious collapse of a movement which threw 
London into wild alarm. Public preparations had been made 



NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 215 

against an outbreak of an armed and furious populace. The Duke 
of Wellington, the hero of Waterloo, had taken charge of arrange- 
ments for guarding the public buildings and defending the metrop- 
olis generally. A vast number of Londoners had enrolled them- 
selves as special constables for the maintenance of law and order. 
Nearly 200,000 persons, it is said, were sworn in for this purpose. 
An odd incident of the famous scare was that the French prince 
Louis Napoleon, who was then living in London, was one of those 
who volunteered to bear arms in preserving order. Various remote 
quarters of London were filled with horrifying reports of encounters 
between the insurgents and the police or the military, in which the 
former invariably had the better of it, and, as a result, were march- 
ing in full force to the particular district where the momentary 
panic prevailed. 

11 THE PEOPLE'S CHARTER." 

The cause of the unusual alarm — an alarm perhaps unparal- 
leled in the great city — -was the determination of the Chartists to 
present a monster petition to the House of Commons making cer- 
tain demands, and, in fact, offering Parliament a last chance to yield 
quietly to the program. 

The Chartists had arisen early in the reign. The winter of 
1837-38 was one of unusual severity and distress. There would 
have been much discontent and grumbling in any case among the 
class described by French writers as the proletaire ; but the com- 
plaints were aggravated by a common belief that the young Queen 
was wholly under the influence of a frivolous and selfish Minister, 
who occupied her with amusements while the poor were starving. 
It does not appear that there was at anytime the slightest justifica- 
tion for such a belief ; but it prevailed among the working classes 
and the poor very generally, and added to the sufferings of genuine 
want the bitterness of imaginary wrong. Popular education was 
little looked after ; so far as the State was concerned, might be said 
not to be looked after at all. The laws of political economy were 



2i6 NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 

as yet only within the appreciation of a few, who were regarded 
not uncommonly, because of their theories, somewhat as phrenolo- 
gists or mesmerists might be looked on in a more enlightened time. 

FOLLOWING THE CORONATION OF THE QUEEN 

Only a few weeks after the coronation of the Queen a great 
Radical meeting was held in Birmingham. A manifesto was adopted 
there which afterwards came to be known as the Chartist petition. 
With that movement Chartism began to be one of the most dis- 
turbing influences of the political life of the country. It sometimes 
seemed to threaten an actual uprising of all the proletaire against 
what were then the political and social institutions of the country. 
It might have been a very serious danger if the state had been 
involved in any external difficulties. It was backed by much genuine 
enthusiasm, passion, and intelligence. It appealed strongly and 
naturally to whatever there was of discontent among the working 
classes. Thousands of ignorant and miserable men all over the 
country joined the Chartist agitation who cared nothing about the 
substantial value of its political claims. They were poor, they were 
overworked, they were badly paid, their lives were altogether 
wretched. They got into their heads some wild idea that the 
people's charter would give them better food and wages and lighter 
work if it were obtained, and that for that very reason the aristo- 
crats and the officials would not grant it. No political concessions 
could reaDy have satisfied these men. If the charter had been 
granted in 1838, they would no doubt have been as dissatisfied 
as ever in 1839. 

A conference was held in 183 7, between a few of the Liberal mem- 
bers of Parliament who professed Radical opinions and some of the 
leaders of the working-men. At this conference the programme, 
or what was afterwards known as the "Charter" was agreed upon 
and drawn up. The name of " Charter" appears to have been given 
to it for the first time by O'Connell. " There's your Charter," he said 
to the secretary of the Working Men's Association; " agitate for 



NOTABLE E VENTS IN THE Q UEEN ' 5 LIFE 2 1 7 

it, and never be content with anything less." It is a great thing 
accomplished in political agitation to have found a telling name. A 
name is almost as important for a new agitation as for a new novel. 
The title of " The People's Charter" would of itself have launched 
the movement. 

Quietly studied now, the People's Charter does not seem a 
very formidable document. There is little smell of gunpowder 
about it. Its " points," as they were called, were six. Manhood 
suffrage came first. It was then called universal suffrage, but it 
only meant manhood suffrage, for the promoters of the movement 
had not the slightest idea of insisting on the franchise for women. 
The second was annual Parliaments. Vote by ballot was the third. 
Abolition of the property qualification (then and for many years 
after required for the election of a member to Parliament) was the 
fourth. The payment of members was the fifth, and the division of 
the country into equal electoral districts, the sixth of the famous 
points. Of these proposals some, it will be seen, were perfectly 
reasonable. Three of them — manhood suffrage, vote by ballot, 
and abolition of the property qualification — have now been made 
part of the English constitutional system. Half of the demands 
have thus been crystallized into law. 

THE GREAT MASS MEETING 

The Chartist movement had a solid basis in the real economic 
evils from which the workino- classes were suffering but, as such 
agitation always tends to do, it gathered and roused the disciples 
of mere discontent, who applauded the leaders who talked loudest 
and fiercest against the law-makers and the constituted authorities. 
It was this feature of the movement — naturally the most prominent 
feature — which made London tremble at the prospect of the great 
mass meeting. The petition was to be presented by a deputation 
who were to be conducted by a vast procession up to the doors of 
the House of Commons. The procession was to be formed on 
Kennington Common, the space then unenclosed which is now 



218 NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 

Kennington Park, on the south side of London. There the Char- 
tists were to be addressed by their trusted leader, Feargus 
O'Connor, and then they were to march in military order to present 
their petition. The object undoubtedly was to make such a parade 
of physical force as to overawe Parliament and the government, 
and demonstrate the impossibility of refusing a demand backed by 
such a reserve of power. There were many of the Chartists who 
hoped for something more than a mere demonstration of physical 
force and who would have been heartily glad if some untimely or 
unreasonable interference on the part of the authorities had led to 
a collision. Now came the great failure. The proposed proces- 
sion was declared illegal and all peaceful and loyal subjects were 
warned not to take any part in it. This doomed the demonstra- 
tion, for it divided the Chartists. Many of them desired to parade 
in defiance of the order, but O'Connor strongly insisted on obedi- 
ence to the commands of the authorities. 

THE GREAT CHARTIST PETITION 

The separation of the Chartists who wanted force from those 
who wanted orderly proceedings reduced the project to nothing. 
The meeting on Kennington Common, so far from being a gather- 
ing of half a million of men, was not a larger concourse than a 
temperance demonstration had often drawn together on the same 
spot. Some twenty or twenty-five thousand persons were on Ken- 
nington Common, of whom at least half were said to be mere 
lookers-on, come to see what was to happen, and caring nothing 
whatever about the " People's Charter." 

The great Chartist petition itself, which was to have made so 
profound an impression on the House of Commons, proved as utter 
a failure as the demonstration on Kennington Common. Mr. 
O'Connor in presenting this portentous document boasted that it 
would be found to have five million seven hundred thousand 
signatures in round numbers. The calculation was made in very 
round numbers indeed. The committee on public petitions were 




THE FOUNTAIN COURT 
In Hampton Palace 




f;.* 3 s 



.., 



HAMPTON COURT— SOUTH FRONT 
famous in the History of England as the Home of Kings. 




WINDSOR CASTLE FROM THE THAMES 




THE LONG WALK— WINDSOR CASTLE 



NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEENS LIFE 221 

requested to make a minute examination of the document and to 
report to the House of Commons. The committee called in the 
services of a little army of law-stationers' clerks, and went to work 
to analyze the signatures. They found, to begin with, that the 
whole number of signatures, genuine or otherwise, fell short of two 
millions. But that was not all. The committee found in many 
cases that whole sheets of the petition were signed by one hand. 
It did not need much investigation to prove that a large proportion 
of the signatures were not genuine. The name of the Queen, of 
Prince Albert, of the Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel, Lord 
John Russell, Colonel Sibthorp, and various other public per- 
sonages, appeared again and again on the Chartist roll. 

Some of these eminent persons would appear to have carried 
their zeal for the People's Charter so far as to keep signing their 
names untiringly all over the petition. A large number of yet 
stranger allies would seem to have been drawn to the cause of the 
charter. " Cheeks the Marine " was a personage very familiar at 
that time to the readers of Captain Marryat's sea stories ; and the 
name of that mythical hero appeared with bewildering iteration in 
the petition. So did "Davy Jones;" so did various persons 
describing themselves as Pugnose, Flatnose, Wooden-legs, and by 
other such epithets, acknowledging curious personal defects. We 
need not describe the laughter and scorn which these revelations 
produced. There really was not anything very marvelous in the 
discovery. The petition was got up in great haste, and with almost 
utter carelessness. Its sheets used to be sent anywhere, and left 
lying about anywhere, on a chance of obtaining signatures. The 
temptation to schoolboys and practical jokers of all kinds was irre- 
sistible. Wherever there was a mischievous hand that could get 
hold of a pen, there was some name of a royal personage or 
some Cheeks the Marine at once added to the muster-roll of the 
Chartists. 

The effect of this unlucky petition was conclusive. The terror 
of the agitation was gone. More than that, the humiliation of the 



222 NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 

whole movement was so overwhelming that Chartism was thence- 
forth a subject only for ridicule. So sudden and complete was its 
descent from terrible respectability to ignominious folly that it was 
drowned in a sea of laughter and buried in an eternal oblivion. 

TROUBLES IN CHINA AND THE OPIUM WAR 

The opium dispute with China was going on when the Queen 
came to the throne. The Opium War broke out soon after. On 
March 3, 1843, ^ ve huge wagons, each of them drawn by four horses, 
and the whole under escort of a detachment of the Sixtieth Regiment, 
arrived in front of the Mint. An immense crowd followed the wagons. 
It was seen that they were filled with boxes ; and one of the boxes, 
having been somewhat broken in its journey, the crowd were able to 
see that it was crammed full of odd-looking silver coins. The look- 
ers-on were delighted, aswell as amused, by the sight of this huge con- 
signment of treasure ; and when it became known that the silver 
money was the first instalment of the China ransom, there were lusty 
cheers given as the wagons passed through the gates of the Mint. 
This was a payment on account of the war indemnity imposed on 
China. Nearly twenty-two and a half million dollars was the sum of 
the indemnity, in addition to one million and a quarter which had 
already been paid by the Chinese authorities. Many readers may 
remember that for some time " China money " was regularly set 
down as an item in the revenues of each year with which the Chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer had to deal. The China War, of which 
this money was the spoil, was not perhaps an event of which 
the nation was entitled to be very proud. It was the precursor of 
other wars, the policy on which it was conducted has never since 
ceased altogether to be a question of more or less excited contro- 
versy ; but it may safely be asserted that if the same events were 
to occur in our day it would be hardly possible to find a Ministry 
to originate a war, for which at the same time it must be owned 
that the vast majority of the people, of all politics and classes, were 
only too ready then to find excuse and even justification. The 



NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 223 

wacon-loads of silver conveyed into the Mint amid the cheers of the 
crowd were the spoils of the famous Opium War. 

The charter and the exclusive rights of the East India Com- 
pany expired in April, 1834 ; the charter was renewed under differ- 
ent conditions, and the trade with China was thrown open. One 
of the great branches of the East India Company's business with 
China was the opium trade. When the trading privileges ceased, 
this traffic was taken up briskly by private merchants, who bought 
of the company the opium which they grew in India and sold it to 
the Chinese. The Chinese Governments, and all teachers, moralists, 
and persons of education in China, had long desired to get rid of 
or put down this trade in opium. They considered it highly detri- 
mental to the morals, the health and the prosperity of the people. 
All traffic in opium was strictly forbidden by the Governments and 
laws of China. Yet the English traders carried on a brisk and 
profitable trade in the forbidden article. Nor was this merely an 
ordinary smuggling, or a business akin to that of the blockade-run- 
ning- during our Civil War. The arrangements with the Chinese 
Government allowed the existence of all establishments and 
machinery for carrying on a general trade at Canton and Macao ; 
and under cover of these arrangements the opium traders set up 
their regular headquarters in these towns. The English Govern- 
ment was slow to act, but at length announced to Captain Elliott, 
the chief superintendent of British trade in China, that her 
Majesty's Government could not interfere for the purpose of 
enabling British subjects to "violate the laws of the country with 
which they trade" and that "any loss therefore which such persons 
may suffer in consequence of the more effectual execution of the 
Chinese laws on this subject must be borne by the parties who have 
brought that loss on themselves by their own acts." This very 
wise and proper resolve came, however, too late. The British 
traders had been allowed to go on for a long time under the full 
conviction that the protection of the English Government was 
behind them and wholly at their service. 



224 NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 

When the Chinese authorities actually proceeded to insist on 
the forfeiture of an immense quantity of the opium in the hands of 
British traders, and took other harsh but certainly not unnatural 
measures to extinguish the traffic, Captain Elliott sent to the 
Governor of India a request for as many ships-of-war as could be 
spared for the protection of the lives and property of Englishmen 
in China, Before long British ships arrived, and the two coun- 
tries were at war. 

BEGINNING OF THE WAR 

It is not necessary to describe the successive steps by which 
the war came on. It was inevitable from the moment that the 
English superintendent identified himself with the protection of 
the opium trade. The English believed that the Chinese authorities 
were determined on war, and only waiting for a convenient moment 
to make a treacherous beginning. The Chinese were convinced 
that from the first the English had meant nothing but war. Such 
a condition of feeling on both sides would probably have made war 
unavoidable, even in the case of two nations who had far much 
better ways of understanding each other than the English and 
Chinese. It is not surprising if the English people at home knew 
little of the original causes of the controversy. All that presented 
itself to their mind was the fact that Englishmen were in danger 
in a foreign country ; that they were harshly treated and recklessly 
imprisoned ; that their lives were in jeopardy, and that the flag of 
England was insulted. There was a general notion, too, that the 
Chinese were a barbarous and ridiculous people who had no alpha- 
bet, and thought themselves much better than any other people, 
even the English, and that, on the whole, it would be a good thing 
to take the conceit out of them. 

It was probably true that the English Government could not 
have put down the opium trade ; that even with all the assistance 
of the Chinese Government it could have done no more than drive 
it from one port only to see it make its appearance at another. But 
this is no excuse for the action of the English Government, which 



NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LITE 225 

should have announced from the first, and in the firmest tone, that 
it would have nothing to do with the trade and would not protect 
it. Instead of this, the Government allowed the traders to remain 
under the impression that it was willing to support them until it 
was too late to undeceive them with any profit to their safety or 
the credit of the Government. 

The Chinese authorities acted after awhile with a high-handed 
disregard of fairness, and of anything like what we should call the 
responsibility of law ; but it is evident that they believed they were 
themselves the objects of lawless intrusion and enterprise. Then 
were on the part of the Government great efforts made to represenf 
the motion as an attempt to prevent the Ministry from exactino- 
satisfaction from the Chinese Government, and from protecting the 
lives and interests of Englishmen in China. But it is unfortunately 
only too often the duty of statesmen to recognize the necessity of 
carrying on a war, even while they are of opinion that they whose 
mismanagement brought about the war deserve condemnation. 
When Englishmen are being imprisoned and murdered, the inno- 
cent just as well as the guilty, in a foreign country— when, in short, 
war is actually going on — it is not possible for English statesmen 
in opposition to say, " We will not allow England to strike a blow 
in defense of our fellow-countrymen and our flag, because we are 
of opinion that better judgment on the part of our Government 
would have spared us the beginning of such a war." There was 
really no inconsistency in recognizing the necessity of carrying on 
the war, and at the same time censuring the Ministry who had 
allowed the necessity to be forced upon the country. Sir Robert 
Peel quoted with great effect, during the debate, the example of 
Fox, who declared his readiness to give every help to the prosecu- 
tion of a war which the very same day he proposed to censure the 
Ministry for having brought upon the country. With all their 
efforts, the Ministers were only able to command a majority of nine 
votes as the result of the three days' debate. 
13 



226 NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 

The war, however, went on. It was easy work enough so far 
as England was concerned. It was on their side nothing but a 
succession of cheap victories. The Chinese fought very bravely in a 
great many instances ; and they showed still more often a Spartan- 
like resolve not to survive defeat. When one of the Chinese cities 
was taken by Sir Hugh Gough, the Tartar general went into his 
house as soon as he saw that all was lost, made his servants set fire to 
the building, and calmly sat in his chair until he was burned to death. 
One of the English officers writes of the same attack, that it was 
impossible to compute the loss of the Chinese, " for when they 
found they could stand no longer against us, they cut the throats 
of their wives and children, or drove them into wells or ponds, and 
then destroyed themselves. In many houses there were from eight 
to twelve dead bodies, and I myself saw a dozen women and 
children drowning themselves in a small pond the day after the 

fight.- 

The noted English writer, Justin McCarthy, gives this account 
of the rapid series of operations : 

" We quickly captured the island of Chusan, on the east coast 
of China ; a part of our squadron went up the Peiho River to 
threaten the capital ; negotiations were opened, and the prelimi- 
naries of a treaty were made out, to which, however, neither the 
English Government nor the Chinese would agree, and the war 
was re-opened. Chusan was again taken by us ; Ningpo, a large 
city a few miles in on the mainland, fell into our hands ; Amoy, farther 
south, was captured ; our troops were before Nankin, when the 
Chinese Government at last saw how futile was the idea of resist- 
ing our arms. Their women or their children might just as well 
have attempted to encounter our soldiers. With all the bravery 
which the Chinese often displayed, there was something pitiful, 
pathetic, ludicrous, in the simple and child-like attempt which they 
made to carry on war against us. They made peace at last on any 
terms we chose to ask. We asked in the first instance the cession 
in perpetuity to us of the island of Hong-Kong. Of course we got 



NOTABLE EVENTS IN THE QUEEN'S LIFE 227 

it. Then we asked that five ports, Canton, Amoy, Foo-Chow-Foo, 
Ningpo, and Shanghai, should be thrown open to British traders, 
and that consuls should be established there. Needless to say that 
this, too, was conceded. Then it was agreed that the indemnity 
already mentioned should be paid by the Chinese Government — 
some twenty-two and a half million dollars, in addition to six mil- 
lion and a quarter, as compensation for the destroyed opium." 

The whole chapter of history ended not inappropriately, per- 
haps, with a rather pitiful dispute between the English Government 
and the English traders about the amount of compensation to 
which the latter laid claim for their destroyed opium. The Govern- 
ment was in something of a difficulty, for it had formerly announced 
that it was resolved to let the traders bear any loss which their 
violation of the laws of China might bring upon them. But, on 
the other hand, they had identified themselves by the war with the 
cause of the traders ; and one of the conditions of peace had been 
the compensation for the opium. At last the matter was compro- 
mised ; the merchants had to take what they could get, and that 
was considerably below their demands. 



CHAPTER XIV 

Victoria's Achievements for Peace 

ONE of the most notable features of the Queen's reign was 
its peaceful character. Never had a monarch ruled so 
long with so few great wars. Among the achievements for 
peace of the Victorian age, are the inception and successful accom- 
plishment of the first great world's fair in London and the settle- 
ment of the Alabama claims by arbitration. The inception of the 
former was due, as we shall see, to the Queen's royal spouse, and 
owed its success to his persistency and tact and to the Queen's 
lively and sympathetic interest. 

The other was no less due to the Queen's marked friendliness 
for America than to her love of universal peace, a love which made 
her extend her strong sympathy to the peaceful settlement of the 
Alabama dispute and, more recently, to the great cause of world- 
wide peace as fostered at the conference which met at the Hague. 

The Queen's desire for peace abroad as thus shown, was in 
harmony with her wishes for her country at home. There was no 
jealousy between Parliament and Sovereign. Each tried to do the 
will of the other. At the beginning of her reign, Parliament voted 
her the usual grant of money for the Crown without any of that 
reluctance it had sometimes shown toward other rulers, and the 
grant was received by the Queen in the same friendly spirit. 
Indeed, she would rather have given up part of the royal revenues 
than have caused ill-feeling on the part of her subjects. It is 
fitting that, along with the other influences for peace, a statement be 
made of the sources and amount of the money which thus went for 
the support of the Queen. 
228 






VICTORIA ' S A CHIE VEMENTS FOR PEA CE 229 

The year 1851 was made memorable by the first great interna- 
tional exhibition, held in Hyde Park. Here was displayed the 
skill in arts and manufactures of all nations and peoples. Like 
other expositions, this leader of them all had its special feature — 
the Crystal Palace. This was a structure of o-lass an j j ron l aro -e 
enough to cover all the contents of the exhibition and at once light, 
beautiful and inexpensive. The building fulfilled its immediate 
purpose admirably and is inseparably associated with the event and 
the year. 

THE FIRST GREAT INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION 

The exhibition of 185 1 was mainly due to the large conception 
and wise foresight of the Prince Consort. The public at the time 
knew but little, and many know but little to this day, of the amount 
of anxious thought and labor which he devoted to the success of 
the great undertaking that made the year 185 1 memorable as a 
new starting-point in the industrial and social history of the world. 
Besides his personal merits, his own high name and his close relation 
to the Sovereign, added a lustre to the Royal Commission which 
would otherwise have been totally lacking, and gave ground for 
that confidence to foreign powers which they displayed so signally 
and with so little stint. When the proposal was first made it was 
met by countless objections. It was so novel an idea that few 
welcomed it. But the hopeful perseverance of Prince Albert solved 
the problems and overcame the innumerable impediments which 
threatened more than once to mar the success of the great work. 

On the first day of May the event to which the whole civilized 
world had been looking forward with mingled interest and curiosity 
— the opening of the great Congress of Industry and Art — -was 
accomplished with a pomp suitable to the dignity and importance 
of the occasion. 

The Queen herself has written a very interesting account of 
the success of the opening day. Her description is interesting as an 
expression of the feelings of the writer, the sense of profound relief 
and rapture, as well as for the sake of the picture it rives of the. 



230 VICTORIA "S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 

ceremonial itself. The enthusiasm of the wife over the complete 
success of the project on which her husband had set his heart and 
staked his name is simple and touching. If the importance of the 
undertaking and the amount of fame it was to brino- to its author 
may seem a little overdone, not many readers will complain of the 
womanly and wifely feeling which could not be denied fervent 
expression. "The great event," wrote the Queen, "has taken 
place — a complete and beautiful triumph — a glorious and touching 
sight, one which I shall ever be proud of for my beloved Albert 
and my country. . . . The park presented a wonderful spectacle, 
crowds streaming through it, carriages and troops passing, quite 
like the coronation day, and for me the same anxiety — no, much 
greater anxiety, on account of my beloved Albert. The day was 
bright, and all bustle and excitement. . . . The Green Park and 
Hyde Park were one densely-crowded mass of human beings, in the 
highest good humor and most enthusiastic. I never saw Hyde 
Park look as it did — as far as the eye could reach. A little rain 
fell just as we started, but before we came near the Crystal Palace 
the sun shone and gleamed upon the gigantic edifice, upon which 
the flags of all nations were floating. . . . The glimpse of the tran- 
sept through the iron gates, the waving palms, flowers, statues, 
myriads of people filling the galleries and seats around, with the 
flourish of trumpets as we entered, gave us a sensation which I can 
never forget, and I felt much moved. . . . The sight as we came 
to the middle was magical — so vast, so glorious, so touching — one 
felt, as so many did whom I have since spoken to, filled with devo- 
tion — more so than by any service I have ever heard. The tremen- 
dous cheers, the joy expressed in every face, the immensity of the 
building, the mixture of palms, flowers, trees, statues, fountains ; 
the organ (with 200 instruments and 600 voices, which sounded like 
nothing), and my beloved husband the author of this peace festival, 
which united the industry of all nations of the earth — all this was 
moving indeed, and it was and is a day to live forever. God bless 
my dearest Albert ! God bless my dearest country, which has 



VICTORIA ' S A CHIE YEMEN TS FOR PEA CE 231 

shown itself so great to-day ! One felt so grateful to the great God, 
who seemed to pervade all and to bless all." 

The success of the opening day was indeed undoubted. There 
were nearly thirty thousand people gathered together within the 
building, and nearly three-quarters of a million of persons lined the 
way between the exhibition and Buckingham Palace ; and yet no 
accident whatever occurred, nor had the police any trouble imposed 
on them by the conduct of anybody in the crowd. " It was impos- 
sible," wrote Lord Palmerston, "for the invited guests of a lady's 
drawing-room to have conducted themselves with more perfect pro- 
priety than did this sea of human beings." 

THE SUCCESS OF THE OPENING DAY 

By 1 1 o'clock, after which hour none of the general public 
could be admitted, the honorable corps of gentlemen-at-arms, in 
their gay uniforms, had taken up their places in the rear of the dais 
set for the Queen. This dais was covered with a splendid carpet, 
which had been especially worked for the occasion by 150 ladies, 
and on this was placed a magnificent chair of state, covered with a 
cloth of crimson and gold. High over head was suspended an 
octagon canopy, trimmed with blue satin, and draperies of blue and 
white. The trumpeters and heralds were in readiness to proclaim 
the arrival of the Queen and Sir George Smart stood, baton in 
hand, perched up in a small rostrum, " Ready to beat time to ' God 
Save the Queen ' for the five hundredth time in his life." The 
Commissioners of the Exhibition and the foreign ambassadors 
stood in the entrance hall, prepared to pay their respects to her 
Majesty on her arrival. The Queen entered, leaning on her 
husband's arm, and being also accompanied by the Princess Royal 
and the Prince of Wales. The Queen wore a dress of pink satin 
brocaded with gold ; Prince Albert a Field-Marshal's uniform ; the 
Prince of Wales was in Highland dress, while the Princess was clad 
in white satin, with a wreath of flowers around her head. A 
tremendous burst of cheering, renewed and prolonged from all 



232 VICTORIA '5 ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 

parts of the building, greeted the announcement of the arrival of 
the Queen. 

Her Majesty was conducted to her chair of state by the 
Commissioners, Cabinet and Foreign Ministers. As they stood 
around her chair in their bright Court dresses and brilliant uniforms, 
a choir of nearly a thousand voices sang " God Save the Queen." 
At the conclusion of its last strain, Prince Albert descended from 
the dais, and, taking his place with his brother Commissioners, 
read a long address to her Majesty, in which he recited the history, 
plan, and intent of the magnificent project which was so largely the 
product of his own heart and brain. 

The Queen read a short reply, the tenor of which was to 
warmly re-echo the hopes and sentiments contained in the address 
of the Prince. The Archbishop of Canterbury then offered up a 
consecratory prayer, which was followed by the performance of the 
" Hallelujah Chorus," under the direction of Sir Henry Bishop. A 
very long procession, in which the Queen went hand-in-hand with 
her son, and Prince Albert with his daughters, was then marshaled, 
and, having marched round the interior of the building, the exhibition 
was declared formally opened. 

Nor did its subsequent history in any way belie the promise of 
its opening day. It continued to attract delighted crowds to the 
last, and more than once held within its precincts at one moment 
nearly a hundred thousand persons, a concourse large enough to 
have made the population of a respectable continental capital. In 
another way the exhibition pro„ved even more successful than was 
anticipated. There had been some difficulty in raising money in 
the first instance, and it was thought something of a patriotic risk 
when a few spirited citizens combined to secure the accomplishment 
of the undertaking by means of a guarantee fund. But the guarantee 
fund became in the end merely one of the forms and ceremonials 
of the exhibition ; for the undertaking not only covered its expenses, 
but left a huge sum of money in the hands of the royal commis- 
sioners. The exhibition was closed by Prince Albert on October 






VICTORIA 'S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 233 

1 5th. That at least may be described as the closing day, for it was 
then that the awards of prizes was made known in presence of the 
Prince and a large concourse of people. The exhibition itself had 
actually been closed to the general public on the eleventh of the 
month. It has been imitated again and again. It was followed by 
an exhibition in Dublin ; an exhibition of the paintings and 
sculptures of all nations in Manchester ; three great exhibitions in 
Paris ; the International Exhibition in Kensington in 1862 — the 
enterprise, too, of Prince Albert, although not destined to have his 
presence at its opening ; an exhibition at Vienna, one in Philadelphia, 
the World's Fair at Chicago, 1893, and again in Paris in 1900. Where 
all nations seem to have agreed to pay Prince Albert's enterprise 
the compliment of imitation, it seems superfluous to say that it 
was a success. 

THE ALABAMA AWARD 

Queen Victoria's reign will always be memorable for the great 
event which marks this as distinctively an era of peace and good will 
for in 1 87 1 an important diplomatic question was settled by the 
tribunal of arbitration held at Geneva. It was the famous claim 
against the Alabama and other Confederate cruisers which, during 
our Civil War, did so much to sweep our merchant marine from 
the sea. These vessels made their departure from British ports, 
and were, in many instances, fitted out with British munitions of 
war. The United States claimed that Great Britain should pay 
damages for violation of neutrality. The matter dragged for some 
time. At first the English Government declined to admit any 
responsibility for the losses inflicted on American commerce, but 
later it acknowledged a willingness to submit the question to some 
manner of peaceful decision. An agreement regarding the matter 
had been made by the two Governments and rejected by the United 
States Senate when, in 1871, General Grant in his message to 
Congress announced that the time had come for the American 
Government to take decided steps for the settlement of the 
Alabama claims. 



234 VICTORIA ' S A CHIE VEMENTS FOR PEA CE 

After some negotiation with England, that Government 
consented to send a commission to Washington to confer with an 
American commission on all the various subjects of dispute between 
the two countries. The English commissioners were Earl de Grey 
and Ripon (afterward created Marquis of Ripon, in return for his 
services at Washington), Sir Stafford Northcote, Mr. Montague 
Bernard, professor of international law at the University of Oxford, 
and Sir Edward Thornton, English Minister at Washington. Sir 
John A. Macdonald represented Canada. The American commis- 
sioners were Mr. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State ; General 
Schenck, afterward American Minister to England ; Mr. J. C. 
Bancroft Davis, Mr. Justice Nelson, Mr. Justice Williams, and Mr. 
E. R. Hoar. 

THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON 

The commissioners held a long series of meetings in Washing- 
ton, and at length arrived at a basis of arbitration. This was set 
forth in a memorable document, the Treaty of Washington. The 
Treaty of Washington acknowledged the international character of 
the dispute ; and it opened with a remarkable admission on the part 
of the English Government. It announced that " Her Britannic 
Majesty has authorized her high commissioners and plenipoten- 
tiaries to express, in a friendly spirit, the regret felt by her 
Majesty's Government for the escape, under whatever circum- 
stances, of the Alabama and other vessels from British ports, and 
for the depredations committed by those vessels." This was a 
very unusual acknowledgment to make as the opening of a docu- 
ment intended to establish a tribunal of arbitration for the claims 
in dispute. It ought not in itself to be considered as anything of a 
humiliation. In public, as in private life, it ought to be honorable 
rather than otherwise to express regret that we should even unwit- 
tingly have done harm to our neighbor, or allowed harm to be done 
to him ; that we have shot our arrow o'er the house and hurt our 
brother. But when compared with the stand which English Minis- 
ters had taken not many years before, this was indeed a considerable 



VICTORIA 'S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 235 

change of attitude. It is not surprising that many English- 
men chafed at the appearance of submission which it presented. 
The treaty then proceeded to lay down three rules which it was 
agreed should be accepted by the arbitrators as applicable to the 
case. These rules were : " A neutral government is bound : First, 
to use due diligence to prevent the fitting out, arming or equipping, 
within its jurisdiction, of any vessel which it has reasonable ground 
to believe is intended to cruise or to carry on war against a power 
with which it is at peace, and also to use like diligence to prevent 
the departure from its jurisdiction of any vessel intended to cruise 
or carry on war as above, such vessel having been specially 
adapted, in whole or in part, within such jurisdiction to warlike 
use. Secondly, not to permit or suffer either belligerent to make 
use of its ports or waters as the base of naval operations against 
the other, or for the purpose of the renewal or augmentation of 
military supplies or arms, or the recruitment of men. Thirdly, to 
exercise due diligence in its own ports and waters, and as to 
all persons within its jurisdiction, to prevent any violation of the 
foregoing obligations and duties." 

The British Commissioners followed up the acceptance of 
these three rules by a saving clause, declaring that the English 
Government could not assent to them as a "statement of princi- 
ples of international law which were in force at the time when the 
claims arose;" but that, "in order to evince its desire of strength- 
ening the friendly relations between the two countries, and of mak- 
ing satisfactory provision for the future," it agreed that in deciding 
the questions arising out of the claims these principles should be 
accepted, "and the high contracting parties agree to observe these 
rules between themselves in future, and to bring them to the 
knowledge of other maritime powers, and to invite them to accede 
to them." The treaty then went on to provide for the settlement 
of the Alabama claims by a tribunal of five arbitrators, one to be 
appointed by the Queen, and the others respectively by the Presi- 
dent of the United States, the King of Italy, the President of the 



236 VICTORIA >S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 

Swiss Confederation, and the Emperor of Brazil. This tribunal 
was to meet in Geneva, and was to decide by a majority all the 
questions submitted to it. 

The tribunal of arbitration was composed of five men, and 
appointed in accordance with the Treaty of Washington (as we 
have stated), as follows : Sir Alexander, J. E. Cockburn, appointed 
by the Queen ; Charles Francis Adams, appointed by the Presi- 
dent of the United States; Count Frederigo P. Sclopis, appointed 
by the King of Italy ; M. Jacques Staempfli, appointed by the 
President of the Swiss Confederation ; and Viscount d' Itajuba, 
appointed by the Emperor of Brazil. The Court met at Geneva, 
Switzerland, December 15, 1871, but not until September 14th of 
the following year was the final conclusion announced. The case 
was argued for the United States by William M. Evarts, Caleb 
Cushing and Morrison R. Waite ; for Great Britain by Sir Roun- 
dell Palmer. Mr. J. C. Bancroft Davis, of the United States, and 
Lord Tenterden, of Great Britain, attended the tribunal of arbi- 
tration as agents of their respective governments. 

THE MEETING OF THE TRIBUNAL OF ARBITRATION AT GENEVA 

Some delay was caused in the meeting of the tribunal of arbi- 
tration at Geneva by the sudden presentation on the part of the 
American Government of what were called the indirect claims. To 
the surprise of everybody, the American case when presented was 
found to include claims for vast and indeed almost limitless dam- 
ages, for indirect losses alleged to be caused by the cruise of the 
Alabama and the other vessels. The loss by the transfer of trade 
to English vessels, the loss by increased rates of insurance, and all 
imaginable losses incident to the prolongation of the war, were 
now made part of the American claims. It was clear that, if such 
a principle were admitted, there was no possible reason why the 
claims should not include every dollar spent in the whole opera- 
tions of the war, and in supplying any of the war's damages, from 
the first day when the Alabama put to sea. 



VICTORIA >S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 237 

Their indirect claims were not only absurd, but even mon- 
strous, and the English Government had not for one moment the 
slightest idea of admitting them as part of the case to be laid before 
the arbitrators at Geneva. The bare suggestion seemed more like 
a rude practical joke than a statesmanlike proposition. Even men 
like Mr. Bright, who had been devoted friends of the North during 
the war, protested against this insufferable claim. It was at last 
withdrawn. We now know on the best possible authority that our 
own Government never meant to press it. 

The arbitration was on the point of being broken off. The 
excitement in England was intense. The American Government 
had at last to withdraw the claims. The Geneva arbitrators of 
their own motion declared that all such claims were invalid and 
contrary to international law. The mere fact of their presentation 
went far to destroy all the credit which the United States would 
have obtained by the firm maintenance of their just demands and 
their recognition by the court of arbitration. 

The decision of the tribunal was in favor of the United 
States. The court were unanimous in finding England respon- 
sible for the acts of the Alabama. A majority found her respon- 
sible for the acts of the Florida and for some of those of the 
Shenandoah, but not responsible for those of other vessels. They 
awarded a sum of about sixteen and a quarter million dollars as 
compensation for all losses and final settlement of all claims includ- 
ing interest. 

THE QUEEN'S INCOME 

At the outset of her reign, Queen Victoria, following the 
example of her uncle, King William IV., made an arrangement 
with Parliament by which, in return for her surrender to the State 
of the larger part of the property of the Crown, she received for life 
a civil list of $2,000,000 a year, together with a promise of adequate 
allowances for the Princes and Princesses of the royal house. 

It was not the Queen or her family who had the best of this 
bargain, but the State — that is to say, the taxpayers. Owing to the 



2 3 8 VICTORIA 'S ACHIEVEMENTS EOR PEACE 

careful management and extraordinary development of the Crown 
property, together with the amazing growth in value of building 
land in the last sixty years, the Treasury, during the greater part 
of the Queen's reign, has managed to net profits of $500,000, and 
during the last quarter of a century profits of over $1,000,000 a 
vear, from the proceeds of the Crown property, after all the 
expenses of its management, the civil list of the Queen and the 
allowances of the royal princes and princesses had been deducted. 
So instead of Queen Victoria and her family having been a source 
of expense to the national exchequer, it is probable that they have 
benefited the State to the extent of at least $30,000,000 ; that is 
to say, they have relieved the taxpayer from that amount of fiscal 
burden, thanks to the bargain concluded by Queen Victoria with 
Parliament sixty-four years ago. 

The allowances subsequently asked of Parliament by the 
Queen for her children, in accordance with this arrangement, were 
exceedingly modest. The eldest child of the Queen, her daughter 
Victoria, now the widowed Empress Frederick of Germany, 
received an allowance for her life of $40,000 per annum. King 
Edward, while still the Prince of Wales, was obliged to content 
himself until his children grew up with an allowance of $200,000, 
which, on the marriage of his son and of two of his daughters, was 
increased by another $175,000 a year, for the purpose of enabling 
him to make provision therefrom for them. King Edward's sailor 
brother, Alfred, received like his younger brother, Arthur, Duke of 
Connaught, $125,000 a year. But on Alfred's succeeding to the 
German throne of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha he relinquished the major 
■ part of his English allowance, which was reduced to $50,000 a year. 
The three younger daughters of the late Queen have each $30,000 
a year, in addition to the $150,000 down which they received at the 
time of marriage. Similar annuities of $30,000 are granted to the 
widows of King Edward's brothers, the Dukes of Coburg and 
Albany. The old Duke of Cambridge, between whom and his first 
cousin, Queen Victoria, there were only a few weeks' difference in 



VICTORIA ' S A CHIE VEMENTS FOR PEA CE 239 

age, draws .$60,000 a year from the Treasury, while his sister, Prin- 
cess Augusta of Great Britain, wife of the blind but reigning 
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, received $15,000 a year from 
Parliament. When one reflects what a little way annuities of 
$30,000 a year, and even of $125,000 a year, go in these days of 
colossal fortunes and extravagant expenditure, and that the recipi- 
ents of these allowances are expected to maintain royal estate, and 
to take the lead in all public charities, it will be admitted that not 
only was Queen Victoria singularly modest in the demands she 
made upon Parliament for the maintenance of the members of the 
royal family, but that the latter likewise deserve credit for having 
managed to live within their income. At any rate, Parliament has 
never been called upon to pay any of their debts out of the profits 
derived from the State management of Crown property. 

Of course, neither Queen Victoria nor her eldest son was 
entirely dependent upon the allowances received from the Treasury 
in respect to the Crown property. The Queen retained, as she had 
a right to do, the revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster, which, after 
the deduction of all expenses, amount to about $300,000 per annum. 
King Edward, when still Prince of Wales, derived a similar amount 
each year from the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall, which has 
been the property of the heir to the throne for more than eight 
centuries. Moreover, Queen Victoria retained possession for life 
of the royal palaces, art treasures, and the royal park of Windsor, 
all of which are Crown property. The treasures include all the 
gold and silver plate and the Crown Jewels, worth several millions 
of pounds sterling, all of which are now turned over to King 
Edward, but for his life only. 

Queen Victoria gave Parliament to understand of her own ini- 
tiative that she had no intention of calling upon the nation, under 
the terms of her agreement with the State, to provide for her 
grandchildren. It should likewise be stated that of the $2,000,000 
civil list received by her late Majesty the salaries and retired allow- 
ances of the royal household consumed nearly $700,000 a year, while 



2 4 o VICTORIA 'S ACHIEVEMENTS FOR PEACE 

the expenses of the household swallowed up $900,000 a year. One 
hundred thousand dollars a year was devoted to pensioning deserving 
people. The remaining $300,000, all that was left at the august 
lady's disposal, was assigned to " her Majesty's privy purse." 

Victoria, as stated above, was satisfied with $2,000,000 per 
annum, which sixty years ago possessed double the purchasing 
power that it does to-day. King William, who reigned before her, 
got $2,500,000 a year. It is probable that King Edward will stipu- 
late for a civil list of at least $3,000,000 a year, which the State 
can well afford to pay, as the revenues from the surrendered Crown 
lands exceed that amount. 

The question may possibly arise as to how the monarch origi- 
nally became possessed of the lands now known as the Crown 
property. Formerly all the lands of the realm belonged to the 
Crown, and were held by the latter by various feudal tenures. 
Owing to extravagance and liberality on the part of various sove- 
reigns in granting Crown lands to their favorites and courtiers, the 
Crown property at the time of the accession of Queen Anne had 
been reduced to such an extent that its revenues scarcely exceeded 
the rent-roll of a country squire. It was then that an Act of Par- 
liament was passed prohibiting the disposal of Crown property. 
Thanks to this law, as well as to subsequent escheats and for- 
feitures of other lands which went to the Crown, the Crown 
property by degrees developed and grew until it attained its 
present proportions. By the legal term "escheats" is meant that 
when there are no heirs to succeed to a territorial inheritance the 
lands escheat, or revert, to the Crown — that is, the sovereign, who 
is, in the eyes of the law, the original proprietor of all the lands of 
the realm. Formerly the sovereign was expected to defray the 
expenses of the judiciary and of the diplomatic service, and to pay 
all pensions, for which purpose he received the proceeds of a num- 
ber of special taxes and imposts. These were surrendered to Par- 
liament at the close of the eighteenth century, and in return Parlia- 
ment undertook to pay the salaries of the officials and the pensions. 




CHAPTER XV 

The Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny 

F the wars with which England was afflicted during the 
Queen's reign only one was on European soil, all the others 
being in far-off regions of Africa and Asia. Of these 
many conflicts three only were of marked importance, the Crimean 
War, with which we are at present concerned, the terrible mutiny 
in India, and the bitterly contested struggle in South Africa, whose 
effect upon Victoria's mind proved so serious. 

On October 4, 1853, the Sultan of Turkey declared war 
against Russia, unless she would immediately withdraw the troops 
which had occupied the Danubian principalities. Instead of doing 
this, the Czar, Nicholas, ordered his generals to invade the Balkan 
territory. Meanwhile England and France, resolute to preserve 
the " balance of power " in Europe, had sent their fleets to the 
Dardanelles, and now they entered into alliance with the Porte 
against Russia, and their fleets sailed on into the Bosphorus. The 
destruction of a Turkish squadron in the harbor of Sinope by the 
Russians precipitated events, and in March, 1854, England and 
France declared war against Russia. 

THE HORRORS OF THE WAR BEGAN TO BE FELT 

By September, when the landing on the peninsula of the 
Crimea took place, the allied forces had already lost 1500 men, and 
the horrors of war began to be felt seriously in the home countries. 
As the conflict went on, the battle of the Alma was fought, and the 
allies advanced on the fortified town of Sebastopol, the feeling at 
home grew more intense, the Queen sharing in all its intensity the 
anxiety which affected her people. In October came the ever 
J 4 241 



242 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

memorable charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava. When the 
allies approached they were soon convinced that any attack on 
such formidable defences would be fruitless, and that they must 
await the arrival of fresh reinforcements and ammunition. The 
English took up their position on the Bay of Balaklava, and. the 
French to the west, on the Kamiesch. 

There now commenced a sieee such as has seldom occurred in 
the history of the world. The first attempt to storm by a united 
attack of the land army and the fleet showed the resistance to be 
much more formidable than had been expected by the allies. Eight 
days later the English were surprised in their strong position near 
Balaklava by General Liprandi. The battle of Balaklava was decided 
in favor of the allies, and on the 5th of November, when Menzikoff 
had obtained fresh reinforcements, the murderous battle of Inker- 
mann was fought under the eyes of the two Grand Princes Nicholas 
and Michael, and after a mighty struggle was won by the allied 
armies. Fighting in the ranks were two other princely personages, 
the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Napoleon, son of Jerome, 
former King of Westphalia. 

Of the engagements here named there is only one to which 
special attention need be directed, the battle of Balaklava, in which 
occurred that mad but heroic " Charge of the Light Brigade," 
which has become famous in song and story. The purpose of this 
conflict on the part of the Russians was to cut the line of commu- 
nication of the allies by capturing the redoubts that guarded them, 
and thus to enforce a retreat by depriving the enemy of supplies. 

The day began with a defeat of the Turks and the capture by 
the Russians of several of the redoubts. Then a great body of 
Russian cavalry, 3,000 strong, charged upon the 93d Highlanders, 
who were drawn up in line to receive them. There was compara- 
tively but a handful of these gallant Scotchmen, 550 all told, but 
they have made themselves famous in history as the invincible 
" thin, red line." 






CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 243 

Sir Colin Campbell, their noble leader, said to them : " Remem- 
ber, lads, there is no retreat from here. You must die where you 
stand." 

"Ay, ay, Sir Colin," shouted the sturdy Highlanders, "we will 
do just that." 

They did not need to. The murderous fire from their " thin 
red line " was more than the Russians cared to endure, and they 
were driven back in disorder. 

The British cavalry completed the work of the infantry. On 
the serried mass of Russian horsemen charged Scarlett's Heavy 
Brigade, vastly inferior to them in number, but inspired with a 
spirit and courage that carried its bold horsemen through the 
Russian columns with such resistless energy that the great body 
of Muscovite cavalry broke and fled — 3,000 completely routed by 
800 gallant dragoons. 

And now came the unfortunate but world-famous event of the 
day. It was due to a mistaken order. Lord Raglan, thinking that 
the Russians intended to carry off the guns captured in the Turk- 
ish redoubts, sent an order to the brigade of light cavalry to 
" advance rapidly to the front and prevent the enemy from carry- 
ing off the guns." 

CAPTAIN NOLAN AND THE ORDER TO CHARGE 

Lord Lucan, to whom the command was brought did not under- 
stand it. Apparently, Captain Nolan, who conveyed the order did 
not clearly explain its purport. 

" Lord Raglan orders that the cavalry shall attack immedi- 
ately," he said, impatient at Lucan's hesitation: 

" Attack, sir ; attack what ? " asked Lucan. 

"There, my lord, is your enemy, there are your guns," said 
Nolan, with a wave of his hand toward the hostile lines. 

The guns he appeared to indicate were those of a Russian bat- 
tery at the end of the valley, to attack which by an unsupported 



244 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

cavalry charge was sheer madness. Lucan rode to Lord Cardigan, 
in command of the cavalry, and repeated the order. 

" But there is a battery in front of us and guns and riflemen on 
either flank," said Cardigan. 

" I know it," answered Lucan. " But Lord Raglan will have 
it. We have no choice but to obey." 

"The brigade will advance," said Cardigan, without further 
hesitation. 

In a moment more the " gallant six hundred " were in motion — 
going in the wrong direction, as Captain Nolan is thought to have 
perceived. At all events he spurred his horse across the front of 
the brigade, waving" his sword as if with the intention to set them 
right. But no one understood him, and at that instant a fragment 
of shell struck him and hurled him dead to the earth. There was 
no further hope of stopping the mad charge. 

THE GHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE 

On and on went the devoted Light Brigade, their pace increas- 
ing at every stride, headed straight for the Russian battery half a 
league away. As they went fire was opened on them from the guns 
in flank, Soon they came in range of the guns in front, which 
also opened a raking fire. They were enveloped in "a zone of 
fire, and the air was filled with the rush of shot, the bursting of 
shells, and the moan of bullets, while amidst the infernal din the 
work of death went on, and men and horses were incessantly 
dashed to the ground." 

But no thought of retreat seems to have entered the minds of 
those brave dragoons and their gallant leader. Their pace increased ; 
they reached the battery and dashed in among the guns ; the gun- 
ners were cut down as they served their pieces. Masses of Russian 
cavalry standing near were charged and forced back. The men 
fought madly in the face of death until the word came to retreat. 

Then, emerging from the-smoke of the battle, a feeble remnant 
of the "gallant six hundred" appeared upon the plain, comprising 



/"* 



>r 




LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEN OF THE QUEEN'S REIGN 




THE QUEEN'S COLDSTREAM GUARDS 




[he Northern II. 



BALMORAL CASTLE, SCOTLAND 

nie of the Oiieen associated with the life of tli 



Pi ince < lonsort. 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 247 

one or two large groups, though the most of them were scattered 
parties of two or three. One group of about seventy men cut their 
way through three squadrons of Russian lancers. Another party 
of equal strength broke through a second intercepting force. Out 
of some 647 men in all, 247 were killed and wounded, and nearly 
all the horses were slain. Lord Cardigan, the first to enter the 
battery, was one of those who came back alive. The whole affair 
had occupied no more than twenty minutes. But it was a twenty 
minutes of which the British nation has ever since been proud, and 
which Tennyson has made famous by one of the most spirit-stirring 
of his odes. The French General Bosquet fairly characterized it 
by his often quoted remark : " C'est magnifique, mats ce n' 'est pas la 
guerre." (It is magnificent, but it is not war.) 

THE ASSAULT AND CAPTURE OF SEBASTOPOL 

These battles in the field brought no changes [ n the state of 
affairs. The siege of Sebastopol went on through the winter of 
1854-55, during which the allied armies suffered the utmost misery 
and privation, partly the effect of climate, largely the result of fraud 
and incompetency at home. Sisters of Mercy and self-sacrificing 
English ladies — -chief among them the noble Florence Nightingale — ■ 
strove to assuage the sufferings brought on the soldiers by cold, 
hunger, and disease; these enemies proved more fatal than the sword. 

In the year 1855 the war was carried on with increased energy. 
Sardinia joined the allies and sent them an army of 1 5,000 men. 
Austria broke with Russia and began preparations for war. And 
in March the obstinate Czar Nicholas died and his milder son 
Alexander took his place. Peace was demanded in Russia, yet 
25,000 of her sons had fallen and the honor of the nation seemed 
involved. The war went on, both sides increasing their forces. 
Month by month the allies more closely invested the besieged city. 
After the middle of August the assault became almost incessant, 
cannon-balls dropping like an unceasing storm of hail in forts and 
streets. 



248 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

On the 5th of September began a terrific bombardment, con- 
tinuing day and night for three days and sweeping down more than 
5,000 Russians on the ramparts. At length, as the hour of noon 
struck on September 8th, the attack of which this play of artillery 
was the prelude began, the French assailing Malakoff, the British 
the Redan, these being the most formidable of the defensive works 
of the town. The French assault was successful and Sebastopol 
became untenable. That night the Russians blew up their remain- 
ing forts, sunk their ships of war, and marched out of the town, 
leaving it as the prize of the victory to the allies. Soon after 
Russia gained a success by capturing the Turkish fortress of Kars, 
in Asia Minor, and, her honor satisfied with this success, a treaty 
of peace was concluded. In this treaty the Black Sea was made 
neutral and all ships of war were excluded from its waters, while 
the safety of the Christians of Wallachia, Moldavia and Servia 
was assured by making those principalities practically independent 
under the protection of the Powers of Europe. 

Sufferings on the part of the British soldiers roused every 
English man and woman to sympathy and pity. 

Florence Nightingale was sent out by Sidney Herbert with a 
party of nurses, many of them volunteers, to Scutari, and soon, by 
her skill and firmness, put the wretched hospital in order, and 
bestowed on the wounded every possible alleviation of their anguish. 
Forty more nurses followed, headed by Miss Stanley. 

The London Times opened a subscription for the sick and 
wounded, and sent a Commissioner out to the Crimea to administer 
the funds thus raised for the soldiers in comforts and medicines. 
In less than a fortnight $75,000 had been received by the paper, 
and on re-opening the subscription it was increased to over $ 100,000, 
a large sum at that time. The Prince, meantime, at the head of a 
royal commission, founded the Patriotic Fund, to which the nation 
contributed a million and a quarter pounds or nearly seven million 
dollars. Private acts of patriotic benevolence supplemented the 
public munificence. The Queen herself, the elder Princesses, and 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 249 

her Majesty's ladies knitted woollen comforters, mittens, and other 
warm clothing, which were sent out and distributed amongst the 
soldiers. The Prince sent warm fur coats and a liberal supply of 
tobacco. 

THE QUEEN'S SOLICITUDE 

Her Majesty, also, when sending her congratulations to her 
troops on the New Year, through Lord Raglan, wrote : " The sad 
privations of the army, the bad weather, and the constant sickness 
are causes of the deepest concern and anxiety to the Queen and 
Prince. The braver her noble troops are, the more patiently and 
heroically they bear all their trials and sufferings, the more 
miserable we feel at their long continuance. ... The Queen heard 
that their coffee was given them green, instead of roasted, and 
some other things of this kind, which has distressed her. . . . The 
Queen earnestly trusts that the large amount of warm clothing 
sent out has not only reached Balaklava, but has been distributed, 
and that Lord Raglan has been successful in procuring the means 
of hutting the men. Lord Raglan cannot think how much we suffer 
for the army, and how painfully anxious we are to know that their 
privations are decreasing." 

Great numbers of wounded and disabled soldiers were sent 
home from time to time, and the Queen and Prince went to see 
them, and ascertain how they were cared for. They visited the 
military hospitals at Brompton and Fort Pitt, Rochester, where 
many wounded men had recently arrived. They took with them 
the two eldest princes. A sad sight indeed those wounded and 
mutilated men must have been for their tender-hearted Queen. 
But for them her words of praise and pity were as true balm. 

The Queen was satisfied that her soldiers were treated with 
every care and kindness at the hospitals, but her Majesty was not 
pleased with the little wards, with high windows "like prisons," nor 
with the want of a dining-hall for the invalids, who were obliged to 
eat in their wards. Her Majesty requested Lord Panmure (the 
Secretary for War) to take steps at once for the erection of proper 



250 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

hospitals for the soldiers. Lord Panmure was anxious to obey the 
Queen, and her Majesty's idea was afterward embodied in Netley 
Hospital which became associated with the Queen's last year in 
her visits to wounded soldiers from South Africa. 

THE QUEEN PRESENTS CRIMEAN MEDALS 

On the 1 8th of May, 1855, the Queen presented their Crimean 
medals to the officers and soldiers who had returned wounded from 
the Alma, Balaklava, and Inkermann. The ceremony took place on 
the parade between the Horseguards and St. James' Park. Every 
spot was thronged with spectators. Soon after ten the Queen and 
Prince took their places on a dais raised for the occasion. 

"After the customary ceremony of marching past, the line 
formed three sides of a square facing the dais. The names of the 
officers and men entitled to decorations were called over by the 
Deputy Adjutant-General, and each person passing in succession was 
presented with a medal. As each soldier came up, Lord Panmure 
(Secretary of War) handed the Queen the medal to which he was 
entitled ; and the soldier, having saluted her Majesty, passed on to 
the rear, where they might be seen proudly exhibiting their medals 
to admiring groups, both of friends and strangers." 

The Queen writes to the King of the Belgians : " Ernest will 
have told you what a beautiful and touching sight and ceremony 
(the first of the kind ever witnessed in England) the distribution of 
the medals was. From the highest prince of the blood to the 
lowest private, all received the same distinction for the bravest con- 
duct in the severest actions, and the rough hand of the brave and 
honest private soldier came for the first time in contact with that 
of his Sovereign and his Oueen. Noble fellows ! I own I feel as 
if they were my own children — my heart beats for them as for my 
nearest and dearest ! They were so touched, so pleased ; many, I 
hear, cried, and they won't hear of giving up their medals to have 
their names engraved upon them, for fear they should not receive 
the identical one put into their hands by me ! " 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 251 

The Queen also visited the wounded at Chatham and at Fort 
Pitt, and a gentleman who was then much with the young royal family 
(whose instructor in art he had been constituted by the Prince) has 
favored us with an interesting anecdote of one of these interviews 
between the Queen and her soldiers. It was related to him by her 
Royal Highness the Princess Royal (now the Empress Dowager 
Frederic of Germany) as an instance that "some men are by nature 
born courtiers, others utterly destitute of civility or courtesy." We see 
in it, also, how fully her Majesty's goodness to her troops was appre- 
ciated, and how a chivalrous loyalty could refine and inspire a private 
soldier. 

THE QUEEN SEES THE WOUNDED VETERANS 

The Queen, on one occasion, expressed her wish to see some 
of the convalescent wounded (who were equal to make the jour- 
ney) at Buckingham Palace ; and a certain number were sent 
thither in accordance with her Majesty's command. They were 
ranged in the hall, lining the walls all round. 

Her Majesty entered shortly afterwards, and gazing with a 
gracious kindness and sadness on the feeble, mutilated men before 
her, sighed deeply, and was heard to say something of the horrors 
and sufferings caused by war, and to hope that the time would soon 
come when the swords should be beaten into ploughshares, and the 
spears into pruning hooks, and when men should not learn war 
any more. 

The soldiers had risen and saluted as the Sovereign entered, 
and remained standing. But glancing with pity at their enfeebled 
forms, her Majesty directed that they should be all told to sit down, 
except the man to whom she spoke and the one next to him. Then 
when the Queen had passed him the first was told to sit down and 
the third to rise, while her Majesty spoke to the second. Thus two 
were always standing. 

To one of these men the Queen said, 4 'I see you have lost 
your right arm ; where were you wounded ?" 

"In the trenches, your Majesty," was the reply. 



252 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

11 Now, I suppose you feel pain still at certain changes of the 
weather? Is it not so?" the Queen asked. 

"Your Majesty," replied the soldier, " I always feel it." 

As he spoke he put his fingers on his heart, but the thumb 
pointed to his left shoulder. 

The Queen turned to the medical officer and said, " I have 
often heard, but could never understand how it was, that the loss 
of a limb on one side of the body gives rise to a pain on the oppo- 
site side ; how is it to be accounted for?" 

The soldier asked if he might be pardoned for explaining him- 
self, and her Majesty said she would rather hear the explanation 
fro.m him than from one who had not experienced it. 

" Your Majesty," then said the soldier, "the time was that I 
had an arm with which to wield a weapon in your Majesty's service, 
and had I had fifty arms I would have devoted them all to serve 
your Majesty and my country ; but now I have lost that arm — and 
it gives me a pain here." 

The Queen then perceived that with his fingers he pointed to 
his heart. She was touched, and said most feelingly, " I thank you 
for that ! I thank you for that ! " 

After speaking to about four more, and hearing all they had to 
say, her Majesty made some few remarks on the horrors of war, 
the pain to individuals, and the manifold losses to families and the 
country generally. At length she came to a soldier who supported 
himself on crutches, and asked him, " And where did you receive 
your wound ? " 

A gruff voice, in a rough dialect, answered laconically, " Bang 
through my thigh." 

The Princess observed, " This man was of the same rank in 
life, but entirely without the inborn courtesy of the first. In short, 
the one was, and the other was not, born a courtier.'' 

During these trying days the Queen lived for a part of the 
time with her family in her new castle in Scotland, Balmoral. Here 
telegraphic messages arrived quickly one after another ; one 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 253 

announcing that the fire on Sebastopol had been re-opened ; that 
the French guns had destroyed one of the ships in the harbor ; 
the destruction of another Russian ship and of part of the city- 
being on fire was announced, followed by repeated reports of the 
success of the terrible struggle. At last came the tidings, " Sebas- 
topol is in the hands of the allies." 

The news reached Lord Granville, the Minister with the 
Queen, at half-past ten at night. 

The Prince at once proposed lighting the bonfire that had 
been prepared the year before in consequence of a false report of 
victory. A high wind had blown it down on that 5th of Novem- 
ber when our soldiers were contending with the Russian hosts at 
Inkermann, "and now again," adds the Queen, "most strangely it 
only seemed to wait our return to be lit." 

In a few minutes the Prince and the gentlemen, accompanied 
by all the servants, and gradually joined by the population of the 
villages, keepers, gillies, and workmen, ascended to the top of the 
cairn and lighted the bonfire. It blazed forth brightly, and its 
flame bore over the Scottish hills tidings of the great victory, to 
gain which so many of their gallant sons had bled. Since the 
signal fires of the Armada, never had bonfire or beacon conveyed 
more important tidings to the people. 

The first act of the Queen after hearing of the taking of Sebas- 
topol was to telegraph her congratulations to her ally, the Emperor, 
and to request Lord Panmure to send her Majesty's warmest con- 
gratulations to General Simpson (who had succeeded Lord Raglan) 
and General Pelissier. 

On May 30, 1856, peace was signed between England and • 
France and Russia. The Tower guns were fired to announce it, 
and the Lord Mayor, standing on the balcony of the Mansion 
House, read the announcement to the assembled crowds, who 
cheered the news lustily. 

The Tower guns fired again, the church bells rang every- 
where. There was universal joy. For that war had brought grief 



254 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

into almost every household ; nearly every family had given one of 
its members, generally the best beloved, to the Moloch of Russian 
ambition and greed ; and they knew that the foe was a savage one, 
who even murdered the wounded on the field of battle. 

The Queen's thankfulness was extreme. She had suffered so 
much that her health was affected by anxiety and sorrow for her 
soldiers, and her children said that if the war did not soon end " it 
would kill mamma." 

HER PRIME MINISTER HONORED 

There had been some little strain in the relations between her 
Majesty and Lord Palmerston when he was Foreign Minister; and 
his partisans were said to have originated the slanders against the 
Prince. But the Queen's disposition was to "forgive and forget" 
more easily than most of her Majesty's subjects, and was never 
unfair, even to those with whom she has had just cause for dis- 
pleasure. Now, when the war had thus reached its successful con- 
clusion, she wrote graciously to her Prime Minister to express her 
approval of the zealous and able conduct of it, and conferred on 
him the Order of the Garter. The honor was gratefully accepted 
by Lord Palmerston, who henceforward continued in favor with 
his royal mistress. He was always popular with the people, who 
greatly appreciated his jealousy for the honor of England and the 
safety of Englishmen. The more he was disliked by foreign Courts, 
the more he was liked by the great mass of his countrymen, who, 
ignorant of foreign affairs, thought very naturally that his disfavor 
abroad was a sign of his devotion to their interests at home. 

In the early days of this war the Queen was deprived of one 
of England's greatest warriors, — he whose name had been her best 
earthly defence was taken from her. Full of years and honors the 
great Duke of Wellington fell asleep. His guard of his beloved 
country was relieved. The sad news reached her Majesty at Bal- 
moral, and caused her the most profound regret. The Duke had 
known her from her cradle, and had loved her as a daughter, while 





THE OUEEN AND HER LITTLE GRANDSON, PRINCE WILLIAM OF PRUSSIA 

By M. L. Gow, R.I. 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 257 

he revered her as a sovereign. The grief of the country was also 
deep and sincere. 

A magnificent funeral was given to the dead hero by the 
nation. With great pomp and solemn reverence he was laid to 
rest by the side of as great a hero, and one who had fully shared 
his high sense of duty. He lies by the side of Nelson in St. Paul's 
Cathedral in London. 

The funeral procession was magnificent, all nations (save 
Austria) sending a representative mourner, some bearing the Field 
Marshal's baton, bestowed on the Duke by their country, on a 
velvet cushion, as that of E norland also was. 

The Queen watched the procession from Buckingham Palace, 
and again from St. James' Palace, seeing with tender regret thus 
pass from her one of her most faithful and devoted friends. It had 
been given to her to have, as the champion of herself and her 
people, a soldier whose campaigns were unsullied by cruelties or 
crimes — a knight "without fear and without reproach." 

THE INDIAN MUTINY 

Toward the end of April, 1857, came fearful tidings from 
India. That country was still under the rule of the company of 
merchants for whom Clive had won it, and had long been a field 
for the exercise of those great merchants' patronage ; their army 
of sepoys being officered by Englishmen, and their civil service 
being better paid than that of the Queen. The Anglo-Indian 
community had been, especially of late years, on very good terms 
with the richer natives ; but far-seeino; men had warned them for 
some time that they were living over a volcano, that there was a 
great though smothered discontent, although the people were now 
treated with much justice, and the " pagola tree " could no longer 
be shaken to make an adventurer's fortune. The native army was, 
it was said, disaffected, and agitators (perhaps foreign agents) took 
pains to tell the people that the English intended to make them 
lose caste — an awful loss, as it entailed a kind of excommunication 



258 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

in this world, and loss of eternal happiness in the next. This 
injury was to be effected by stratagem. Their cartridges were 
to be greased with the fat of the cow — the sacred animal of 
the Hindoo — and with pig's fat, the pig being the abhorred animal 
of the Mahometans ; to touch the former would be sacrilege ; the 
latter, degradation. Moreover, there were prophecies about that 
the infidels would be driven from India on the centenary of their 
conquest, and it was just a hundred years since the fatal battle of 
Plassy had made them masters of Hindostan. 

These whispers roused all the superstitious fear and hopes of 
the people. They resolved on a general and simultaneous rising, 
when they would massacre every European in the country. Hap- 
pily, however, the outbreak took place too soon, and was not, there- 
fore, simultaneous. Some sepoys at Meerut refused to use the new 
cartridges, though they were assured that they were not greased, 
and for their refusal they were committed to prison. 

On the following Sunday the other sepoys, stationed there, 
broke out into open mutiny, fired on their officers, broke open the 
prison and released their comrades, massacring many of the Eng- 
lish. The European troops, however, gathered and drove them 
from their cantonments, and the rebels hurried off to Delhi to pro- 
claim the old king. 

On entering the ancient capital of the Moguls and Mahome- 
tan emperors, they proceeded, with the sanction of the kings and 
princes, to perpetrate the greatest and most horrible cruelties 
against the British, murdering women and children with fiendish 
tortures, whole families of European residents being massacred in 
one day. 

The Governor-General, Lord Canning, acted with great energy 
and decision. He stopped some troops on their way to China, 
where war was going on, and gathered a force to march on Delhi 
at once. Happily the sepoys of Bombay and Madras continued 
faithful, and the recently-conquered Sikhs were ready to fight on 
our side against the Hindoos whom they hated. 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 259 

Delhi, floating with the blood of English men, women and 
children, was at once besieged, but it was not until after an invest- 
ment of three months, and a terrible sacrifice of life by the British 
army in the assault of the town, that it was taken. Many deeds 
of heroic valor were performed outside those blood-stained walls, 
which are seven miles in circumference. 

The telegram relating to the investment of Delhi, and contain- 
ing the terrible announcement that the sepoys of Bengal were all 
in revolt, murdering every British or European man or woman they 
could reach, thoroughly alarmed the Government, who had chosen 
before to be sceptical as to the rumors of the mutiny. 

How much keener the Queen's intelligence was is proved by 
the subjoined portions of two letters of her Majesty's which we 
quote from " The Life of the Prince Consort," in order that our 
readers may see how active and energetic her Majesty was as a 
ruler : — 

THE QUEEN'S KEENNESS OF PERCEPTION 

"The Queen has to acknowledge the receipt of Lord Palmer- 
ston's letter of yesterday. She has long been of the opinion that 
reinforcements waiting to go to India should not be delayed. 

" The moment is certainly a very critical one, and the addi- 
tional reinforcements now proposed will be much wanted. The 
Queen entirely agrees with Lord Panmure that it will be good 
policy to oblige the East India Company to keep permanently a 
larger portion of the royal army in East India than heretofore. 
The empire has nearly doubled itself within the last twenty years, 
and the Queen's troops have been kept on the old establishment. 
. . . The Queen hopes that the reinforcements will be sent out 
in their brigade formation, and not in detached regiments. Good 
commanding officers, knowing their troops, will be of the highest 
importance, next to the troops themselves. The Queen must ask 
that the troops by whom we shall be diminished at home by trans- 
fer of so many regiments to the Company, should be forthwith 
replaced by an increase of the establishment up to the number 



26o CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

voted by Parliament, and for which the estimates have been taken ; 
else we denude ourselves altogether to a degree dangerous to our 
own safety at home, and incapable of meeting a sudden emergency, 
which, as the present example shows, may come upon us at any 
moment. If we had not been reduced in such a hurry this spring 
we would now have all the men wanted." 

Lord Palmerston wrote to the Queen : "Viscount Palmerston 
presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has had the honor 
to receive your Majesty's communications of yesterday" (this 
relates to a matter following the one we have just given), "stating 
what your Majesty would have said if your Majesty had been in 
the House of Commons. Viscount Palmerston may perhaps be 
permitted to take the liberty of saying that it is fortunate for those 
from whom your Majesty differs that your Majesty is not in the 
House of Commons, for they would have had to encounter a for- 
midable antagonist in argument ; although, on the other hand, 
those whose opinions your Majesty approves, would have had the 
support of a powerful ally in debate. 

" But with regard to the arrangements in connection with the 
state of affairs in India, Viscount Palmerston can assure your 
Majesty that the Government are taking, and will not fail to con- 
tinue to take, every measure which may appear well adapted to the 
emergency ; but measures are sometimes best calculated to succeed 
which follow each other step by step." 

The Queen was not at all inclined to think a " step-by-step " 
policy suited to such a rapid and terrible struggle, and she wrote 
from Osborne : 

" The Queen is anxious to impress in the most earnest manner 
upon her Government the necessity of our taking a comprehensive 
view of our military position at the present momentous crisis, 
instead of going on without a plan, living from hand to mouth, and 
taking small isolated measures without reference to each other. 
The principle which the Queen thinks ought to be adopted is this : 
that the force which has been absorbed by the Indian demand be 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 261 

replaced to its full extent and in the same kind, not whole battalions 
by a mere handful of recruits added to the remaining ones. This 
will not only cost the Government nothing — because the East 
India Company will pay the battalions transferred, and the money 
voted for them by Parliament will be applicable to the new ones — 
but it will be a considerable saving, as all the officers reduced from 
the war establishment and receiving half pay will be thus absorbed, 
and no longer a burden on the exchequer. Keeping these new bat- 
talions on a low establishment, which will naturally be the case at 
first, the depots and reserves should be raised in men, the Indian 
depots keeping at least two companies of 100 men each." 

Her Majesty then considered the only two objections that could 
be raised — one, that the men could not be got. She says, " Try, 
and you will see." Next, that the East India Company might 
demur; but the Queen assured her Minister that henceforward 
they must have European regiments, and that they could not be 
allowed to raise troops for themselves. Her Majesty adds with 
one of her tender womanly touches : 

" The present condition of the Queen's army is a pitiable one. 
The Queen has just seen in the camp at Aldershot regiments which 
after eighteen years' foreign service in most trying climates, had 
come back to England to be sent out, after seven months, to Crimea. 
Having passed through this destructive campaign, they have not 
been home for a year before they are to go to India for perhaps 
twenty years! This is most cruel and unfair to the gallant men 
who devote their services to the country, and the Government is in 
duty and humanity bound to alleviate their position." 

The Queen's influence prevailed, and on the 2 2d the Prince 
recorded in his diary, " The cabinet has at last adopted our 
suggestions for an increase of the army." 

The defenceless and crippled state of England at this time 
made the Cabinet as well as the Queen very uneasy. They began 
to perceive a change in the conduct of foreign governments, and 
were very uneasy at their position with regard to France. 

15 



262 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

However, in August the Emperor and Empress of the French 
paid a private visit to Osborne, and then matters were made better. 
Lords Palmerston and Clarendon came to Osborne to meet the 
Emperor, who had with him his Ministers, and long conferences 
followed, which ended in obviating the serious rupture between the 
powers that had appeared imminent. The dissension had been 
caused by a quarrel about the Principalities on the Danube, with 
France, Russia, Prussia, and Sardinia on one side, and England, 
Austria, and Turkey on the other. 

The visit was made very pleasant to the Emperor and Empress, 
and the Emperor wrote, on his return to France, a grateful and 
cordial letter to his royal friends. 

The Queen prorogued Parliament on the 27th, and the same 
day the Court left London for Balmoral. Here terrible details 
from India awaited them. 

The mutiny had broken out at Cawnpore, where General Sir 
Hugh Wheeler had only about three hundred soldiers with him, 
and where the defenceless Europeans and Eurasian population he 
had to protect numbered about a thousand families. Sir Hugh was 
a very old man, seventy-five years of age. Expecting the revolt, 
the moment he heard of that which had taken place at Meerut, he 
applied to Sir Henry Lawrence, who commanded at Lucknow, for 
help. Sir Henry, himself besieged, could give none ! Then Sir 
Hugh applied to a man who was, he believed, a friend to the Eng- 
lish, and at his request the Nana Sahib of Bithoor came with two 
guns and three hundred men to help him. But the Nana was a 
traitor. Deep in his heart he nourished the bitterest hatred of the 
English, because Lord Dalhousie had disallowed his claim on his 
adopted father's estates. Nana Sahib had sent an agent some 
time before to press his claims on the English Government. This 
man, very handsome, and very clever, had been a servant in an 
Anglo-Indian family, and had learned a little French and English. 
The footman, Azimoolah Khan, visited London in 1854, and was 
received into the best society, made a lion of, and actually believed 



CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 263 

that the noblest ladies were dying of love for him ! On his way 
back, unsuccessful in his mission, he visited the Crimea. He 
arrived at England's worst hour there, and went back to his master 
full of the certainty that the English power was on the wane. 
The Nana now fully believed, no doubt, that the fall of the Brit- 
ish was at hand. When he came to Cawnpore he might have 
meant to aid Sir Hugh ; as it was he headed the mutineers against 
him. Sir Hugh had, when the mutiny began, gathered those he 
had to protect inside an old hospital, the mud walls of which were 
only four feet high. However, when his treacherous " Friend " 
called on him to surrender, he refused, and made a most heroic 
defence. 

RECOURSE TO TREACHERY 

The Nana had, indeed, to have recourse to treachery to gain 
the miserable fortress. He offered terms to Sir Hugh. He would 
send him and his survivors of the desperate defence by water to 
Allahabad if he would yield. The terms were accepted ; for the 
besieged were dying of starvation and dysentry. They embarked 
in native boats, and were allowed to gain the middle of the stream, 
when the thatch of the boats was set on fire, and the traitor's sol- 
diers by his order fired on the English. The men were all 
murdered ; the women made captives ; but their fate was only 
deferred. 

The Nana soon found that Azimoolah had been mistaken. 
General Niel had retaken Allahabad, and cleared the country 
around it ; Havelock was advancing with his invincible little force 
of one thousand men and six guns, and had beaten Tantia Topee, 
the Nana's general (who had four thousand men and twelve guns) 
in a battle lasting only ten minutes. The Nana saw he must 
retreat ; but first he would have his revenge. He ordered the 
sepoys to fire into the room occupied by the captive English women 
and children ; but the men (to their honor) fired too high to do 
harm ; then the monster Nana sent in men of his body-guard, who 
actually cut the poor captives nearly to pieces, though some were 



264 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY 

found alive the next morning ; but all, alive or dead, were by his 
direction thrown into a dry well ! 

On entering the town Havelock's soldiers learned the horrid 
truth, and turned weeping from the well of Cawnpore. Above it 
now stands the English church. Terrible vengeance was taken on 
the murderers. 

The defence of Lucknow was another wonderful instance of 
English pluck and determination. Sir Henry Lawrence held it 
with a garrison of only five hundred soldiers against fifty thousand 
sepoys. He defended the women and children till his death ; then 
his officers assumed his duties, till at length the gallant Havelock 
and his little band of heroes cut their way through and entered the 
Residency. But they could not take the ladies and children back 
through the encircling foes, and had in turn to stay and defend 
them. Here he remained till Lord Clyde arrived and released the 
helpless garrison. 

The poetry and heroism of Havelock have rendered his name 
as dear to Englishmen as that of Gordon, his worthy successor in 
the national affections. He did not live to return from that awful 
conflict in Oude, dying of dysentery, after Lord Clyde (Sir Colin 
Campbell) had relieved Lucknow. 

It was this terrible news that reached Balmoral. They heard 
of the massacre at Cawnpore, of the danger of Lucknow, and that 
Delhi still held out. 

The Queen was glad to hear that Lord Palmerston had sug- 
gested to the Archbishop a Sunday for special prayer. Her 
Majesty had suggested during the Crimean war that the prayer to 
be used before a fight at sea is best suited to such occasions. 

By-and-by the cloud parted — Delhi was taken, Lucknow was 
relieved, everywhere vengeance (to the Queen's great regret) fell 
on the mutineers. England, alone, had come victorious through a 
crisis of unequalled peril, and had, as Lord Palmerston phrased it, 
"won off her own bat." 




THE QUEEN IN DUBLIN 
Her Majesty's visit to the Lord Lieutenant and Countess Cadogan at Dublin Castle, MOO. 



CHAPTER XVI 

Memorial of Albert, Prince Consort 

ORROW and bereavement knock with impartial hand at the 
door of palace and cottage ; and royal hearts feel as keenly 
and sharply as those of lower degrees. The Queen herself 
has called the year 1861 " the year of sorrow," and a year of sorrow 
it proved indeed. 

Just at its opening it gave promise of happiness. It was the 
twenty-first year of their marriage, and the Queen wrote to Uncle 
Leopold : " Very few can say, -with me, that their husband at the 
end of twenty-one years is not only full of the friendship, kindness, 
and affection which a truly happy marriage brings with it, but of 
the same tender love as in the first days." The Prince, at the same 
time, wrote to his old friend, Baron Stockmar : " To-morrow our 
marriage will be twenty-one years old. How many a storm has 
swept over it ; and still it continues green and fresh, and throws out 
vigorous roots, from which I can with gratitude to God acknowl- 
edge that much good will yet be engendered for the world." 

THE FIRST DARK SHADOW OF THE YEAR . 

In a very tender and loving letter to the Queen's mother, the 
Prince speaks of his great happiness, and concludes with the hope 
" that your pains and aches will leave you soon." The wish was 
fulfilled, but in another sense than his. A few days afterwards, on 
visiting the Duchess at Frogmore, the Queen and Prince Albert 
found her very weak and ill ; but this passed off, and the Queen 
returned feeling at rest about her mother. " Then," she says, 
" Albert came in saying we ought to go to Frogmore at once, as 
the Duchess of Kent had been seized with a shivering fit, which 
her physician regarded as a very serious symptom." As soon as 

26 K 



268 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 



possible, accompanied by the Princess Alice, the Queen got to her 
mother, her first greeting being, "the end will be soon." How sadly 
true this greeting was we narrate in a subsequent chapter. 

No life of Queen Victoria would be complete without an 
account of her beloved husband, Albert, the Prince Consort. One 

of the many 
j... proofs of her 

affection for him 
and of her over- 
whelming' grief 
over his untime- 
ly death was the 
publication, un- 
der the Queen's 
own direction, of 
a volume on 
"The Early 
Years of the 
Prince Consort." 
Originally in- 
tended for pri- 
vate circulation 
among the mem- 
bers of the royal 
family and the 
intimate friends 
of the Prince, 
the book was 
later given to 
the public, as be- 
ing the best expression of the life and character of the man whom 
the Queen loved. It is the authoritative source of material con- 
cerning the Prince and, as such, must be the basis of all subsequent 
works on his career. 







W Hun<3r e 3 



j_ 



HUNDRED STEPS AT WINDSOR 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 269 

Prince Albert was born on the twenty-sixth of August, 18 19, 
at the Rosenau, a charming summer residence belonging to his 
father, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. His mother was Princess 
Louise, described as having been very handsome, though very 
small, and fair, with blue eyes, and Prince Albert is said to have 
been extremely like her. An old servant who had known her for 
many years told the Queen that when she first saw the Prince at 
Coburg, in 1844, she was quite overcome by his resemblance to his 
mother. The marriage was not a happy one, however, and a sepa- 
ration took place in 1824, when the young Duchess finally left 
Coburg. She never saw her children, Prince Albert and his older 
brother, again, and died, after a long and painful illness, in 1 831, in 
her thirty-second year. The Prince never forgot her, and spoke 
with much tenderness and sorrow of his poor mother. He was 
deeply affected in reading, after his marriage, the accounts of her 
sad and painful illness, and one of the first gifts he made to the 
Queen was a little pin he had received from her when a little child. 
Princess Louise, the Prince's fourth daughter, and named after her 
grandmother, is said to be like her in face. 

BAPTISM OF PRINCE ALBERT 

On the 19th of September the young Prince was christened 
in the Marble Hall at the Rosenau, where he received the following 
names in this order : Francis Charles Augustus Albert Emmanuel, 
the name by which he was known, Albert, being the last but one. 
When the Queen was at the Rosenau in 1863, the Prince's former 
tutor gave her a copy of the address pronounced on the occasion 
of the baptism by the superintendent, Genzlen It is interesting to 
note that Professor Genzler had officiated at the marriage of the 
Duke and Duchess of Keut, the parents of Queen Victoria, in the 
palace at Coburg in 1818, and that he received the Queen and 
Prince at Coburg when they paid their first visit to it after their 
marriage, in 1844. ^ n tms address are two passages strikingly pro- 
phetic of his after-life : 



270 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

"The good wishes," said the preacher, "with which we wel- 
come this infant as a Christian, as one destined to be great on 
earth, and as a future heir to everlasting life, are the more earnest, 
when we consider the high position in life in which he may one day 
be placed, and the sphere of action to which the will of God may call 
him, in order to contribute more or less to the promotion of truth and 
virtue, and to the extension of the kingdom of God. . . . The 
thoughts and supplications of the loving mother are that her 
beloved son may one day enter into the kingdom of God as pure 
and as innocent after the trials of this life as he is at this moment 
(the joy and hope of his parents) received into the communion of 
this Christian Church, whose vocation it is to bring up and form 
upon earth a God-fearing race." 

Had these words, pronounced by the officiating clergyman at 
the Prince's baptism, been used after his premature death, could 
they possibly have been more descriptive of him ? 

His grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Coburg-Saalfeld, 
was also the mother of the Duchess of Kent and the grandmother, 
therefore, of Victoria. Many years later the Queen, speaking of 
her said : " The Prince told the Queen that she had wished ear- 
nestly that he should marry the Queen, and, as she died when her 
grandchildren (the Prince and Queen) were only twelve years old, 
she could have little guessed what a blessing she was preparing, not 
only for this country, but for the world at large." 

Prince Albert was not yet four years old when he and his 
brother, Prince Ernest, were removed from the care of the nurse 
to whom they had hitherto been entrusted to that of Herr Flor- 
schutz, of Coburg, who directed the young Princes' education until 
they left Bonn, fifteen years later, at the close of their academical 
career. 

Nothing was more remarkable, even in infancy, than the 
unselfish affection which united the two brothers. " Brought up 
together," says Mr. Florschutz, " they went hand-in-hand in all 
things, whether at work or at play. Engaged in the same pursuits, 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 271 

sharing the same joys and the same sorrows, they were bound to 
each other by no common feelings of mutual love." And this 
mutual love endured without interruption and without diminution 
through life. 

" Even in infancy, however," their tutor continues, "a marked 
difference was observable in their characters and dispositions. This 
difference naturally became more apparent as years went on, and 
their separate paths in life were definitely marked out for them ; 
yet far from leading at any time to any, even momentary, estrange- 
ment, it seems rather to have afforded a closer bond of union 
between them." 

A striking proof of the warm affection which united them will 
be found in a touching letter from Prince Ernest to the Queen, 
written when his brother's marriage was settled, and inserted in its 
proper place, in which he speaks of the rare qualities and virtues 
that already distinguished Prince Albert above all his young 
associates. 

Mr. Florschutz describes the young Prince as being singularly 
easy to instruct ; and this, notwithstanding the difficulties thrown 
constantly in the way by the injudicious, as he considers it, par- 
tiality of their mother ; by the irregularity of hours, and the inter- 
ruptions occasioned by their frequent changes of residence and 
general mode of life. 

The intellectual and thoughtful turn of the Prince's character, 
and his love of order, were even at this early age conspicuous. His 
studies were a pleasure to him, not a task. His constant love of 
occupation — for, in the words of his tutor, " to do something was 
with him a necessity " — his perseverance and application, were only 
equalled by his facility of comprehension. 

This eager desire for knowledge did not, however, lessen his 
enjoyment of the active sports and amusements which generally 
have, and ought to have, so much attraction for boys. Indeed, he 
seems to have thrown himself into his bodily exercises with the 
same zeal with which he devoted himself to his studies, and to have 



272 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

entered into the games ol boyhood with all the glee and zest of an 
ardent and energetic spirit. In these games with his brother and 
his young companions his was the directing mind. Nor was he at 
times indisposed to resort to force if his wishes were not at once 
complied with. 

At this time, however, his tutor says of him that " he was 
rather delicate than robust, though already remarkable for his 
powers of perseverance and endurance." 

The King of the Belgians, writing to the Queen in 1864, 
confirms, for the most part, the account of the young Prince thus 
given by Mr. Florschutz : 

" I have seen him," he says, u chiefly at Coburg, but since 1827 
also at Gotha. He looked delicate in his youngest days. He was 
always an intelligent child, and held a certain sway over his elder 
brother, who rather kindly submitted to it." 

HAPPY CHILDHOOD 

There does not appear to have been much to record during 
the boyhood of the Princes ; and, with the exception of the unfor- 
tunate circumstances of the year 1824, which resulted in the sepa- 
ration of their parents, to which reference has already been made, 
their lives flowed on in a singularly even and unvarying, but at the 
same time very happy course. Indeed, the Prince, in after years, 
frequently alluded to his happy childhood, and often told the 
Queen that he considered it the happiest period of his whole life. 

In 1826, after considerable difficulty, an arrangement was 
completed by which the Duchy of Gotha was given to the Duke of 
Coburg, who ceded Saalfeld to another Duke, and thus the Prince's 
father became the lord of a somewhat altered Dukedom, being now 
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The wish of the Duchess, the 
Prince's grandmother, "that they may continue well, and may 
escape the scarlet fever and measles," seems to have been realized. 
It does not appear that, as a child, Prince Albert ever had either 
of these disorders. He had the measles very many years later in 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PPINCE CONSORT 273 

England, but, from the memorandum of his tutor, it is seen that, 
though he was kept in bed for eight days, when his brother had 
the scarlet fever in 1829, he showed no symptoms of the disorder, 
and the only reason for this confinement appears to have been the 
excessive caution of the doctor, who seems to have assumed, that 
if one brother had the fever the other must of necessity have it also. 

Nevertheless, the Queen says, that Prince Albert certainly had 
the scarlet fever at this time. " At least," her Majesty adds, " he 
himself always maintained this, therefore visited his children regu- 
larly when they had it in 1855." 

In 1828, the Young Princes paid a visit to their cousins, the 

sons of the Governor of Mayence, and Prince Albert wrote his 

father an account of it: 

Mayence, 1828. 

Dear Papa : — I cannot thank you half enough for letting us have the 
pleasureof coming to Mayence to see our cousins. 

Mayence was hardly in sight when our uncle and cousins met us on horse- 
back. We were very much astonished when we saw the Rhine in the valley, 
with its bridge of boats ; but the water of the Maine and the Rhine is so differ- 
ent that you cannot mistake them. The Maine has red and the Rhine green 

water Yesterday we drove to Wiesbaden, and from Wiesbaden rode on 

donkeys to the Platte, which is two hours from Wiesbaden. The day before 
we were at Biberich. . . . Keep your love for 

Your Albert. 

The intimacy thus early begun between the cousins seems 
to have been kept up with undiminished affection throughout life ; 
and Count Arthur Mensdorff, in 1863, wrote to the Queen, in 
response to a wish expressed by her, an account of his recollections 
of those early days. In it he says : 

" Albert, as a child, was of a mild, benevolent disposition. It 
was only what he thought unjust or dishonest that could make him 
angry. Thus I recollect one day when we children, Albert, Ernest, 
Ferdinand, Augustus, Alexander, myself, and a few other boys (if 
I am not mistaken, Paul Wangenheim was one) were playing at 
the Roseneau, and some of us were to storm the old ruined tower 



274 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

on the side of the castle, which the others were to defend. One of 
us suggested that there was a place at the back by which we could 
get in without being seen, and thus capture it without difficulty. 
Albert declared that ' this would be most unbecoming in a Saxon 
knight, who should always attack the enemy in front,' and so we 
fought for the tower so honestly and vigorously that Albert, by mis- 
take, for I was on his side, gave me a blow upon the nose, of which 
I still bear the mark. I need not say how sorry he was for the 
wound he had given me. 

" Albert never was noisy or wild. He was always very fond of 
natural history and more serious studies, and many a happy hour he 
spent in Ehrenburg, in a small room under the roof, arranging and 
dusting the collections our cousins had themselves made and kept 
there. He urged me to begin making a similar collection myself, 
so that we might join, and form together a good cabinet. 

" This was the commencement of the collections at Coburg in 
which Albert always took so much interest. 

" Albert thoroughly understood the naivete of the Coburg 
national character, and he had the art of turning people's peculiari- 
ties into a source of fun. He had a natural talent for imitation, 
and a great sense of the ludicrous, either in' persons or things ; but he 
was never severe or ill-natured ; the general kindness of his disposi- 
tion preventing him from pushing a joke, however he might enjoy 
it, so as to hurt any one's feelings. Every man has, more or less, a 
ridiculous side, and to quiz this, in a friendly and good-humored 
manner, is, after all, the pleasantest description of humor. Albert 
possessed this rare gift in an eminent degree. 

" From his earliest infancy he was distinguished for perfect 
moral purity, both in word and in deed ; and to this he owed the 
sweetness of disposition so much admired by every one. 

" Even as a child he was very fond of chess, and he, Ernest, 
Alexander, and myself often played the great four game. This led 
often to jokes, but sometimes to ridiculous quarrels, which, however, 
owing to his goodness of heartj always ended good-humoredly. 




Distinguished Writers or Popular Prose 

The Victorian E:ra : > 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 277 

" Some time ago I collected all the letters I have of dearest 
Albert's, and in one of them I found a passage most characteristic 
of his noble way of thinking, as shown and maintained by him from 
his earliest childhood : 

"'The poor soldiers,' he says, .' always do their duty in the 
most brilliant manner ; but as soon as matters come again into the 
hands of politicians and diplomats, everything is again spoiled and 
confused. Oxenstiern's saying to his son may still be quoted : " My 
son, when you look at things more closely, you will be surprised 
to find with how little wisdom the world is governed." I should like 
to add, ' and with how little morality.' 

" How much these words contain ! We again see the Saxon 
knight, who as a child declared that you must attack your enemy 
in front, who hates every crooked path ; and, on the other hand, 
the noble heart which feels deeply the misfortune of a government 
not guided by reason and morality." 

The years 1829 and 1830 seem to have been passed by the 
Princes in the quiet routine of their studies and other occupations, 
their residence at Coburg and the Rosenau being only interrupted 
by the visits, now grown periodical, to Gotha. 

The Duke, their father, had been absent for some time in the 
winter of i828-'29, and on the 16th January of the latter year we 
find Prince Albert, now in the tenth year of his age, writing by 
direction of his grandmother (probably from Ketschendorf, where 
she resided), to say how sorry they were at his staying away so 
long, and to express their joy to hear he was soon coming back. 
Again, on the 28th of the same month, he gives his father an 
account of the manner in which he and his brother, with their 
young companions, the sons of the principal people of Coburg, 
who came constantly on Sundays and other holidays to play with 
them, according to a practice established, had been amusing them- 
selves. 

They dragged some small hand-sledges up to the Festung (the 
old fortress above Coburg), and "there," he writes, "we and some 



278 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

other boys got into our sledges and went the whole way down to 
the gate of the Schloss." 

In a journal kept by the Prince in 1830, when he was not yet 
eleven years old, he gives an account, which is not without interest, 
of the manner in which he and his brother were in the habit of 
amusing themselves with their young companions ; he also describes 
the great Protestant festival, in celebration of the Confession of 
Augsburg, which was held at Coburg in June of that year. 

YOUTHFUL AMUSEMENTS 

The Princes were very fond of assuming the characters of the 
most distinguished worthies of old times, and of making the most 
remarkable incidents in bygone German history the subject of their 
games. On the occasion mentioned in the following extracts from 
Prince Albert's journal, it is not without interest to observe that 
when the boy, selected to play the Emperor, was missing he was to 
be replaced by another boy chosen by lot from amongst those who 
were to represent the different Dukes. The lot fell worthily on the 
Prince himself. 

But the journal is chiefly interesting from one short entry in 
it strongly indicative of that trait in the Prince's character which 
was, perhaps, the most remarkable, as being, certainly, the most 
rare in those born to such high rank — his thoughtful considera- 
tion, namely,, for others. When lamenting the disappointment to him- 
self and his companions of the pleasure which they had promised 
themselves, arid which a wet day put a stop to, his thoughts seemed 
to turn quite naturally to the still wider disappointment occasioned 
to the children of the whole town, whose festival was spoiled by the 
bad weather. 

" 17TH January. 

" Sunday. — When I woke this morning, the first thing I 
thought of was the afternoon when we expected our playfellows. 
The tallest and one of the cleverest, Emil von Gilsa, was to be our 
Emperor. Ernest was to be Duke of Saxony, and was to have two 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 279 

Counts Rottenhahn, the elder M. von Schauroth, a Preger and a 
Borner, and one of our rooms was to be his Duchy. 

" Paul von Wangenheim was to be Duke of Bavaria and his 
followers were to be the younger M. von Schauroth, a Piani and a 
Miiller, and he also had a room; and I was to be Duke of Bur- 
gundy, and Herman, Achill, Victor and Edward von Gilsa were to 
belong to me, and another of our rooms was to be my Duchy. We 
dined with our dear Grandmamma. After dinner we returned 
home, and our playfellows had already arrived ; but we heard with 
great horror that Achill and Emil von Gilsa (our chosen Emperor) 
were ill, and that the two Mess, von Schauroth were gone out sledg- 
ing and would come later. We therefore decided on choosing an 
Emperor from among the Dukes, and lots were to decide who it 
was to be. Fortune favored me, and I was Emperor. We played 
very happily till half-past eight o'clock." 

" 21st June. 

" To-day was my brother Ernest's birthday. We spent this 
day, in spite of the rain, very happily together. 

" We drove into the town after dear Papa had given Ernest 
many presents, and visited dear Grandmamma. The bad weather not 
only spoiled our happiness, but that of the children of the whole 
town too, as just on this day a school-festival happened to fall. 

"We spent the afternoon at Ketschendorf with some of our 
companions. 

" In the evening we went to see a menagerie which consisted 
chiefly of serpents." 

In August, 1 83 1, the mother of the Princes died, as has been 
already mentioned, at St. Wendel. And in the November follow- 
lowing they had to mourn the loss of their kind and beloved grand- 
mother, the Duchess Dowager of Coburg. In the summer of 1832 
the young Princes accompanied their father to Brussels on a visit 
to their uncle Leopold, who, in the course of the preceding year, 
had been chosen to be the Sovereign of the newly-created king- 
dom of Belgium. 



2 8o MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

The stay of the Princes at Brussels at this time was short. 
But short though it was, their tutor ascribes to the effect produced 
by what they saw there — by the spectacle which the Belgian capi- 
tal then afforded, of liberty and independence bravely acquired, 
and used with good sense and moderation — that apppreciation of 
the blessings of liberty, that attachment to liberal principles which 
ever afterwards distinguished both the Princes. In Prince Albert 
these liberal principles were tempered by a moderation and love of 
order, and by a detestation of everything approaching to license, 
which were very remarkable at his early age ; and this without 
weakening the devotion to the purest and best principles of consti- 
tutional freedom, of which his whole after-life in England gave 
such repeated proof. 

The love of art, too, which was natural to the Prince, received, 
his tutor adds, a great stimulus from the beauty of Brussels, and 
the study of the art treasures which that city contains. 

On their way home the Princes passed a few weeks with their 
aunt and cousins at Mayence, and during that time attended the 
swimming-school which forms part of the military establishment 
there. They made so much progress, that before they left, they 
swam down the stream from the bridge of Mayence to Biberich, 
a distance of three miles. 

In the autumn of this year the Duke re-married. The new 
Duchess was his own niece — being the daughter of his sister 
Princess Antoinette, married to Duke Alexander of Wiirtemberg. 
In November the brothers accompanied their father to the Castle 
of Thalwitz, in Saxony, there to await the arrival of the Princess 
from Petersburg. Thence they escorted her to her new home. 

The Prince was now in his fourteenth year, and was fast 
developing that power of thinking and judging for himself which 
distinguished him so greatly in after-life. 

The ardent desire for the acquisition of knowledge, always so 
characteristic of the Prince, as well as his love of order and method, 
show themselves, even at this early age, very remarkably, in a 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 281 

programme drawn up by himself at this time for his guidance in the 
prosecution of his studies. 

This programme is given, as written out in the Prince's own 
handwriting, at the end of an interesting memorandum by his old 
tutor, Councillor Flo/schutz, in which he (the Councillor) records 
his recollections of the Prince as a boy, and gives an account of the 
nature of his studies and the manner in which they were regulated. 
It is seen that, though not neglected, classics and mathematics did 
not hold the prominent, not to say the exclusive, place in their sys- 
tem of education which these branches of study occupy in Eng- 
land. The study of modern languages, of history, of the natural 
sciences, of music, and generally of those accomplishments which 
serve to embellish and adorn life, had many hours in each week 
devoted to them. 

The amount of work which the Prince thus traces for himself 
would probably not only seem excessive to the most studious Eng- 
lish school-boy (and we must remember that the Prince at this time 
was only of the age of a school-boy), but was such as a hard-read- 
ing man at one of our universities might almost have shrunk 
from. Be it also remembered that the principal parts- of these 
studies are what his tutor describes as " self-imposed." From six 
o'clock in the morning to one in the afternoon, and, on two days of 
the week, till two o'clock, there was continuous work, excepting, of 
course, the time required for breakfast. From one to six was 
given up to out-door exercises and recreation, dinner, etc.; and the 
day concluded with two hours' more work from six to eight. 

It must not be supposed, however, that this programme was 
strictly carried into effect. It is seen from the memorandum, how 
much their tutor complained of the interruptions caused by the fre- 
quent changes of residence, and by the system of breakfasting in 
the open air at different places, and sometimes at a considerable 
distance from home ; but, as a scheme of study laid down by the 
young Prince himself, and, as far as was possible, adhered to, it may 
well command our admiration. It may also be remarked that 
16 



282 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

though their tutor, in this paper, seems only to lament the inter- 
ruption occasioned to their studies, he elsewhere mentions the fre- 
quent changes of residence as advantageous rather than otherwise, 
and as tending to encourage the habit of observation and to 
enlarge their minds. 

o 

FIRST MEETING OF THE QUEEN AND THE FRINCE 

In 1836 the Princes and their father, the Duke, visited Eng- 
land. During their stay there they were lodged at Kensington, and 
it was on this occasion that the Queen saw the Prince for the first 
time. They were both seventeen years old. In April, 1837, the 
Princes went to Bonn, at which university, with the exception of 
the usual vacations, they remained for the next year and a half. 

Here they resided with their tutor, M. Florschutz, who bears 
witness to the diligence and steadiness with which they applied 
themselves to their studies. Of our Prince he says that "he main- 
tained the early promise of his youth by the eagerness with which 
he applied himself to his work, and by the rapid progress which he 
made, especially in the natural sciences, in political economy, and 
in philosophy. Music, also," he adds, "of which he was passion- 
ately fond, was not neglected, and he had already shown consider- 
able talent as a composer." The Prince also excelled in many 
exercises, and at a great fencing-match, in which there were from 
twenty-five to thirty competitors, carried off the first prize, as 
recorded by an English student at the university, who afterwards 
held a government situation in Dublin, and who himself obtained 
the second prize. 

Since the visit of the Princes to England in the preceding year 
the idea had become very general that a marriage was in contem- 
plation between Prince Albert and the Princess Victoria ; and during 
their late residence in Brussels reports to that effect had become 
still more prevalent, though most prematurely, as nothing was then 
settled. Prince Albert's letters to his father at this time are chiefly 
interesting from their allusion to. England and the young Queen. 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 283 

The first is dated from Bonn, only a few days before the death, on 
the 20th of June, 1837, of William IV., when Queen Victoria, who 
had only just completed her eighteenth year, ascended the throne. 
In that letter, after mentioning a visit to Cologne, he goes on : 

'' A few days ago I received a letter from Aunt Kent, enclos- 
ing one from our cousin. She told me I was to communicate its 
contents to you, so I send it on with a translation of the English. 
The day before yesterday I received a second and a still kinder 
letter from my cousin, in which she thanks me for my good wishes 
on her birth-day. You may easily imagine that both these letters 
gave me the greatest pleasure." 

On the 4th of July he adds: "The death of the King of 
England has everywhere caused the greatest sensation. From 
what Uncle Leopold, as well as aunt, writes to us, the new reign 
has begun most successfully. Cousin Victoria is said to have 
shown astonishing self-possession. She undertakes a heavy respon- 
sibility, especially at the present moment, when parties are so 
excited, and all rest their hopes on her." 

On the first hearing of the King's death, the Prince had already 
written the following beautiful and characteristic letter to the young 
Queen. It is the first of his which we have, written in English, 
and allowing for a somewhat foreign turn and formality of expres- 
sion, it shows what proficiency he had already made in a language 
which, from the correctness with which he both spoke and wrote it, 
he soon made his own. " How much," says one who had deeply 
studied his character, " of the Prince's great nature is visible in it. 
Though addressed to a young and powerful Queen, there is not a 
word of flattery in it. His first thought is of the great responsi- 
bility of the position, the happiness of the millions that was at 
stake. Then comes the anxious hope that the reign may be glori- 
ous." (Did he feel a presentiment at the time how much he would 
help to make it so ?) " And then how gracefully and naturally the 
tender regard of an affectionate relation comes in at the last." But 
let us quote it : 



284 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

"Bonn, 26th June 1837. 

" My Dearest Cousin: — I must write you a 'few lines to present yon 
my sincerest felicitations on that great change which has taken place in your 
life. 

" Now you are Queen of the mightiest land of Europe, in your hand lies 
the happiness of millions. May Heaven assist you and strengthen you with its 
strength in that high but difficult task. 

" I hope that your reign may be long, happy, and glorious, and that your 
efforts may be rewarded by the thankfulness and love of your subjects. 

" May I pray you to think likewise sometimes of your cousins in Bonn, 
and to continue to them that kindness you favored them with till now. Be 
assured that our minds are always with you. 

" I will not be indiscreet and abuse your time. Believe me always, your 
Maiesty's most obedient and faithful servant, 

" Albert." 

This same year the Princes employed their vacation in making 
a tour through Switzerland and the north of Italy. 

The Queen, alluding to this tour in 1864, relates that the 
Prince sent her a small book containing views of many of the 
places they visited in this interesting tour. 

" The whole of these," the Queen adds, " were placed in a 
small album, with the dates at which each place was visited, in the 
Prince's handwriting ; and this album the Queen now considers one 
of her greatest treasures, and never goes anywhere without it. 
Nothing had at this time passed between the Queen and the 
Prince ; but this gift shows that the latter, in the midst of his 
travels, often thought of his young cousin." 

It was not long before the current belief in their intended 
marriage was placed on more solid ground and the happy event, 
described elsewhere in this work, was consummated, giving to 
Queen Victoria and England a worthy and noble Prince Consort. 

The political position of the Prince Consort was a question of 
some difficulty. 

Notwithstanding the cordiality with which the Prince, and the 
satisfaction with which the announcement of the marriage had been 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 285 

received it soon became apparent that the husband of the Queen 
was the object of much national suspicion and unpopularity It 
was regretted after the event that the Queen had not married an 
English prince. It was protested that the influence of a foreign 
prince on the counsels of the Crown must be dangerous to the 
empire The Prince found his position one of extreme difficulty. 
He had at once to maintain his rank and to disarm distrust " In 
my home life," he wrote, May, 1840, " I am very happy and con- 
tented, but the obstacle to filling my place is that I am only the 
husband and not the master in the house." 

TACT AND WISDOM OF THE PRINCE 

In this critical juncture the Queen exhibited rare tact and 
great determination. She persistently declined to yield to those 
who were bent on detaching the Prince as much as possible from 
h-rself By her marriage vow she had sworn to honor and obey 
him and that vow she showed herself resolute upon faithfully 
executing Meanwhile the Prince, who profited much from the 
friendship and advice of his attendant, Baron Stockmar, having 
" laid down for himself the rule that no act of his should by any 
possibility expose him to the imputation of interference with the 
machinery of the State or of encroachment on the functions and 
privileges of the sovereign," gradually found his path made clear. 
In all matters, both of the family and of the State, the Prince 
Consort was her Majesty's adviser, counselor and helpmeet. Sir 
Theodore Martin says, in his " Life of the Prince : 'Every enter- 
prise of national importance claimed his attention, and in all things 
that concerned the welfare of the State, at home or abroad, his 
accurate and varied knowledge and great political sagacity made 
him looked to as an authority by all our leading statesmen. In 
another place, Sir Thomas says : '• Like most men who have done 
o-reat things in this world, the Prince got to his work early, and had 
made good progress with it before other people were stirring. 
Summer or winter, he rose, as a rule, at 7, dressed and went to his 



286 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

sitting-room, where in winter a fire was burning and a green Ger- 
man lamp already lit. He read and answered letters, never allow- 
ing his vast correspondence to fall into arrears, or prepared for her 
Majesty's consideration drafts of answers to her Ministers on any 
matters of importance. . . . He kept up this habit to the close 
of his life and his last memorandum of this description he brought 
to the Queen on December i, 1861, at 8 a.m., saying as he gave it : 
' Ich bin so schwach ich habe kaum die Feder halten konnen ' (I am 
so weak I have scarcely been able to hold the pen)." 

In 1844 a residence was purchased at Osborne on the Isle of 
Wight, and the Prince took great interest in planning the house 
and laying out the grounds, as well as in carrying on the farming 
operations which were conducted on the estate. 

HE IS ELECTED CHANCELLOR OF CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY 

In 1847, the University of Cambridge paid Prince Albert the 
well-merited compliment of electing his Royal Highness to their 
Chancellorship. Every year had developed in the young Prince 
the highest qualities as statesman, art patron, and man of intellect, 
and he could scarcely refuse an office for which he was so well fitted. 
The University was proud of, and pleased by his acceptance of 
their highest office, and the installation was performed with great 
splendor. Her Majesty accompanied her royal husband to the 
installation, and, seated in a chair of state on a dais in the Hall of 
Trinity, received an address from the University. It was repre- 
sented by the new Royal Chancellor, supported by the Chancellor 
of Oxford, the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, the Bishop of 
Oxford (Wilberforce), and the Heads of the Houses. Her Majesty 
made a gracious reply to the address, and then the deputation with- 
drew, Prince Albert making a profound obeisance to the Queen. 
Bishop Wilberforce gives a very pleasant account of the ceremony : 

" The Cambridge scene was very interesting. There was 
such an outburst of loyalty, and it told so on the Queen and 
Prince. It was quite clear that they both felt it as something new 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 287 

that he had earned, and not she given, a true English honor ; but he 
looked so pleased, and she so triumphant. There were also some 
such pretty preludes ; when he presented the address, and she 
beamed on him, and once half smiled, and then covered the smile 
with a gentle dignity ; and then she said in her clear, musical voice, 
' The choice which the University has made of its Chancellor has 
my most entire approbation.' " 

The Queen wrote in her Journal : " I cannot say how it 
agitated and embarrassed me to have to receive this address, and 
hear it read by my beloved Albert, who walked in at the head of 
the University, and looked dear and beautiful in his robes, which 
were carried by Colonel Phipps and Colonel Seymour. Albert 
went through it all admirably, almost absurd, however, as it was to 
us. He gave me the address, and I read the answer, and a few 
kissed hands and retired with the University." 

At the Convocation in the afternoon the Prince, as Chancellor, 
received the Queen as a visitor, and led her to the seat prepared 
for her. 

The installation ode was written by Wordsworth at the 
Prince's wish, and, for an ode written to order, is thought singu- 
larly fine. 

In 1848 the Queen and her consort paid their first visit to 
Balmoral, the estate of the Earl of Aberdeen, in the Highlands, 
which was subsequently purchased and became a favorite home of 
the Queen. The Prince drew a graphic pen-picture of the place : 

" We have withdrawn for a short time into a complete mountain 
solitude, where one rarely sees a human face, where the snow 
already covers the mountain tops (in September) and the wild deer 
come stealthily creeping round the house ; scenes which, in her 
Majesty's own words, seem to breathe freedom and peace, and to 
make one forget the world and its sad turmoil." 

In 1849 the Prince projected the great Crystal Palace Exhibi- 
tion, enlisted the help of the most active members of the Society 



288 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

of Arts, and was instrumental in having the great enterprise put 
under way and pushed to completion, as detailed elsewhere in this 
work. 

Americans will never forget that the last act of this truly wise 
and noble Prince was to review the draft of the letter which the 
Ministry proposed to send to the American Government, demanding 
the return of the Confederate commissioners taken from a British 
mail steamer by Captain Wilkes, of the United States Navy. 
Every Tory mind in the universe desired that letter to be couched 
in such language as would preclude the possibility of a peaceful 
issue. But Prince Albert had not a Tory mind. 

Collecting, with a great effort, his benumbing faculties, he 
read the letter carefully over, and suggested changes which softened 
its tone, and made far easier a compliance with its just demands. 
Soon after the performance of this duty, so honorable to his 
memory, he relapsed into a lethargy from which death alone 
released him. 

Until 1861 the Queen had never known bereavement in the 
circle of her immediate family. Nine children had been born to 
her, and, although it was understood that certain of her younger 
offspring did not possess that robustness of health which their elder 
brothers and sisters enjoyed, yet not one was taken young from the 
hands of their loving parents by the hand of the Great Destroyer. 
Early in 1861 came the first pang of bereavement. The Duchess 
of Kent, ripe in years, one of the best mothers of the best of grand- 
mothers, a lady of whose memory all Britons now and hereafter 
owe an incalculable debt of gratitude, passed peacefully away with 
her descendants gathered around her bedside. 

When the royal family returned from Balmoral in October, it 
was observed that the Prince Consort was not in his usual health 
and vigor, but he had no pronounced ailment, and nothing 
approaching to serious alarm was for many weeks apprehended. 
In the course of the succeeding month he went to Cambridge, to 
visit the Prince of Wales, who was a student at that university, as 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 289 

he had previously been for a short time at Oxford. He went out 
shooting while there, got wet, and, as the Duke of Kent had done, 
was so imprudent as to sit down without removing his wet clothes. 
Nevertheless, on his return to Windsor, he pursued his usual daily 
vocations. About the beginning of December he appeared in 
public with the Queen, and reviewed the volunteer corps among 
the Eton boys. The rain fell fast, and the Prince was seized on 
the review grounds with acute pains in the back, Feverish 
symptoms supervened, and the doctors ordered confinement to 
his room. Still no alarm was entertained, and it was believed 
that he suffered only from a passing malady. The general public 
knew nothing of the ailment until some solicitude was caused by a 
bulletin, which appeared in the " Court Circular" of the 8th of 
December : 

HIS ILLNESS AND DEATH 

" His Royal Highness, the Prince Consort, has been confined to 
his apartments for the past week, suffering from a feverish cold, 
with pains in the limbs. Within the last few days the feverish 
symptoms have rather increased, and are likely to continue for 
some time longer, but there are no unfavorable symptoms. The 
party which had been invited by her Majesty's command to assem- 
ble at Windsor Castle on Monday has been countermanded." 

Not until the 13th was any bulletin issued which caused real 
anxiety and alarm. On the day following, the morning papers 
contained the ominous announcement that he had "passed a rest- 
less night, and the symptoms had assumed an unfavorable charac- 
ter during the day." The Times, in a leading article, while hoping 
for the best, startled all by its statement that " the fever which has 
attacked him is a weakening and wearying malady." On the morn- 
ing of Saturday there was a favorable turn, but which was soon 
followed by a serious relapse. After 4 p. m. the fever assumed a 
malignant typhoid type, and he began to sink with such rapidity 
that all stimulants failed to check the quick access of weakness. 
At 9 o'clock a telegram was received in the city that the Prince 



2 9 o MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 

was dying fast, and a few minutes before n all was over. "On 
Saturday night last," said one of the daily journals of the succeed- 
ing Monday, " at an hour when the shops in the metropolis had 
hardly closed, when the theatres were delighting thousands of 
theatre-goers, when the markets were thronged with humble buyers 
seeking to provide for their Sunday requirements, when the foot- 
passengers yet lingered in the half-emptied streets, allured by the 
soft air of a calm, clear evening, a family in which the whole 
interest of this great nation is centered were assembled less than 
five-and-twenty miles away, in the royal residence at Windsor, in 
the deepest affliction around the death-bed of a beloved husband 
and father. In the prime of life, without — so to speak — a longer 
warning than that of forty-eight hours, Prince Albert, the Consort 
of our Queen, the parent of our future monarchs, has been stricken 
down by a short but malignant disorder." Shortly after midnight 
the great bell of St. Paul's, which is never tolled except upon the 
death of a member of the royal family, boomed the fatal tidings 
over a district extending, in the quietude of the early Sabbath 
morn, for miles around the metropolis. 

The Queen, the Princess Alice, and the Prince of Wales, who 
had been hastily summoned from Cambridge, sat with the dying 
good man until the last. After the closing scene the Queen sup- 
ported herself nobly, and after a short burst of uncontrollable 
grief, she is said to have gathered her children around her, and 
addressed them in the most solemn and affectionate terms. " She 
declared to her family that, though she felt crushed by the loss of 
one who had been her companion through life, she knew how much 
was expected of her, and she accordingly called on her children to 
give her their assistance, in order that she might do her duty to 
them and to her country." The Duke of Cambridge and many 
gentlemen connected with the Court, with six of the royal children, 
were present at the Prince's death. In answer to some one of 
those present, who tenderly ' offered condolence, the Queen is 



MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE CONSORT 291 

reported to have said : " I suppose I must not fret too much, for 
many poor women have to go through the same trial." 

The sad news became generally known in the metropolis and 
in the great cities of the empire early on Sunday. Unusually large 
congregations filled the churches and chapels at morning service. 
" There was a solemn eloquence in the subdued but distinctly per- 
ceptible sensation which crept over the congregations in the prin- 
cipal churches when, in the prayer for the royal family, the Prince 
Consort's name was omitted. It was well remarked, if ever the 
phrase was permissible, it might then be truly said that the name 
of the departed Prince was truly conspicuous by its absence, for 
never was the gap that this event has made in our national life, as 
well as in the domestic happiness of the palace, more vividly real- 
ized than when the name that has mingled so familiarly with our 
prayers for the last twenty years was, for the first time, left out of 
our devotions." Many thousands of mute pious petitions were 
specially addressed to Heaven for the bereaved widow and orphans 
when the prayer of the Litany for "all who are desolate and 
oppressed " was uttered, and in the chapels of Non-conformists the 
extemporaneous prayers of the ministers gave articulate expression 
to the heartfelt orisons of the silent worshippers. Every one thought 
of and felt for the Queen, and during the week intervening between 
the death and the funeral, the question on every one's lips in all 
places of resort, and where men and women congregated, was, 
" How will the Queen bear it ?" 

The grief of the Queen was, indeed, intense and heart-break- 
ing ; but her high and unselfish sense of duty contended with it. 
It seems from what her Majesty often remarked to those about her 
that the Prince must actually have prepared her in a degree for 
encountering this great sorrow. Doubtless it was during his affec- 
tionate efforts to soothe her after the Duchess of Kent's death that 
he read with her the charming book, " Heaven our Home," and 
often spoke of a future state. We are told that he once said, 
" We don't know in what state we shall meet again, but that we 



292 MEMORIAL OF ALBERT, THE PRINCE C0NS0R1 

shall recognize each other, and be together in eternity, I am per- 
fectly certain." 

Prince Albert sleeps the long sleep at Frogmore, to which his 
mortal remains were borne reverently and without ostentation, as 
he himself would have wished. The inscription on his coffin ran 

thus : 

Depositum 

Illustrissimi et Celsissimi Alberti, 

Principis Consortis, 

Ducis Saxonle, 

De Saxe-Coburg et Gotha Principis 

Nobilissimi Ordinis Periscelidis Equitis, 

AUGUSTISSIM/E ET PoTKNTISSIM^E VICTORIA ReGIN.^, 

Conjugis Percarissimi, 

Obiit Die Decimo Quarto Decembris, MDCCCLXI. 

Anno ^tatis Su^; XLIII. 

(Here lies the most illustrious and exalted Albert, Prince Consort, 
Duke of Saxony, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Knight of the 
Most Noble Order of the Garter, the most beloved husband of the 
most august and potent Queen Victoria. He died on the fourteenth 
day of December, 1861, in the forty-third year of his age.) 

Thus died and was buried a great and good man, one of the 
most useful men of his age, one to whom England owes much. 



CHAPTER XVII 
Lonely Days of Widowhood 

HE body of the Prince Consort having been committed to its 
temporary resting-place in the entrance of St. George's 
Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Monday, December 23d, 1861, 
with the pomp befitting the funeral of so great a prince, the 
Queen entered on the last, the noblest, stage of her earthly career 
— a term of her glorious reign that was prolonged for many years. 
In the opening term of her reign the virgin Queen enjoyed the 
sympathy and tender interest of the great majority of her people. 
In the second period of her regal story she won and held the world's 
admiration by the graces of her character and the splendor of her 
circumstances. In the latest passage of her noble life she was re- 
garded by all her thoughtful and well-informed subjects with affec- 
tionate reverence. 

The notion that she was for a time so broken by her great 
bereavement as to be incapable of discharging the most important 
and difficult functions of her sovereignty is quite erroneous. The 
Queen, who in her letters speaks of herself as suffering more from 
comparatively trivial disquietudes than from her gravest misfortunes, 
proved, under the most crucial of her several severe afflictions, that 
she could endure the sharpest tribulation with heroic fortitude. "I 
think it is a circumstance worthy of observation," the Duke of 
Argyll remarked in a speech, "and which ought to be known to all 
the people of this country, that during all the years of the Queen's 
affliction, during which she has lived necessarily in comparative 
retirement, she has omitted no part of that public duty which con- 
cerns her as sovereign of this country ; that on no occasion during 
her grief has she neglected work in those public duties which belong 

293 



294 LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 

to her exalted position ; and I am sure that when the Queen 
reappears again on more public occasions, the people of this country 
will regard her only with increased affection, from the recollection 
that during all the time of her care and sorrow she had devoted 
herself without one day's intermission to those cares of government 
which belong to her position as sovereign of this country.'' To the 
statesman who uttered these authoritative words the purely cere- 
monious work of holding levees and drawing-rooms, of opening 
and proroguing Parliament in person, and of presiding at the 
festivities of the palace, — the work which the ignorant and frivolous 
regard as the sovereign's chief work, — did not appear worthy to be 
spoken of as a part of Her Majesty's governmental labor. 

HER ELDEST SON TAKES A TOUR 

In the course of the month of February, 1862, she despatched 
her eldest son on his oriental tour, so that his education should not 
suffer from any indulgence of her wish to have him near her. Some 
months after she had thus sent the Prince of Wales to distant lands, 
in execution of the Prince Consort's design for his eldest son's 
education, the Oueen showed fortitude in consenting that the Prin- 
cess Alice's marriage with Prince Louis of Hesse should be cele- 
brated at midsummer. Always dear to her mother, this gentle 
princess had become so unutterably precious to the Queen during 
the Prince Consort's illness and the subsequent weeks of mourning 
that it cost Her Majesty a painful effort to encourage the darling 
daughter to fulfil her promise to Prince Louis so soon. There was 
not much rejoicing at the quiet wedding on the 1st of July, 1862, at 
which the Queen appeared in dress of deepest mourning ; and two 
hearts were bleeding when mother and daughter exchanged farewell 
kisses. The parting would have been more painful had it not been 
settled that the bride should often visit England. In August the 
court went to Balmoral ; and on the twenty-first of the month the 
Queen drove in a little carriage, drawn by her Corriemulzie pony, to 
the summit of Craig Lowrigan, to cooperate with six of her children 



LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 295 

in laying the foundation of a cairn in memory of the Prince Consort 
— the cairn, forty feet wide and thirty-five feet high, to which refer- 
ence is made elsewhere, that, overlooking the valley, reminds way- 
farers of a lofty nature and a noble life. 

On the 1 8th of December, the fourth day after the first anniver- 
sary of his death, the body of the Prince Consort was removed from 
St. George's Chapel, in the presence of the Prince of Wales, Prince 
Arthur, Prince Leopold, and Prince Louis of Hesse, and placed in the 
mausoleum at Frogmore, the royal tomb erected by Her Majesty at a 
cost of more than #1,000,000, paid out of her private purse. The year 
closed with a tribute of sympathy to Her Majesty by the "many 
widows" who subscribed for the superbly bound Bible that was 
brought to the Queen by the Duchess of Sutherland. In her 
written acknowledgment of this expression of reverential affection 
the Queen spoke of her sorrow in these words : "The only sort 
of consolation she experiences is in the constant sense of his unseen 
presence, and the blessed thought of the eternal union hereafter, 
which will make the anguish of the present appear as naught." 

On the 10th of March, 1863, the Queen witnessed from the 
royal closet the brilliant celebration of the Prince of Wales' wedding 
with the Princess Alexandra of Denmark, in St. George's Chapel, at 
Windsor Castle, and in her widow's dress received the pair at the 
entrance of the Castle on their return from the ceremony at the 
chapel. An event that stirred Her Majesty's heart no less deeply 
than her eldest son's wedding took place on Easter Sunday, the 5th 
of April. On that day the Princess Alice, who had been staying in 
England since the middle of November, 1862, grave birth to her first- 
born child at Windsor Castle. When the Queen went to Netley on 
the 9th of May to inspect the military hospital whose foundation-stone 
she laid in 1856, she was accompanied by the Princess Alice, whose 
long stay in England was now drawing to a close. "In to-day's let- 
ter," the Princess wrote on the eve of her departure for Hesse- 
Darmstadt to her mother, "you mention again your wish that we 
should soon be with you again. Out of the ten months of our mar- 



296 LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 

ried life five have been spent under your roof, so you see how ready 
we are to be with you. Before next year Louis does not think that 
we shall be able to come." But Prince Louis discovered that he 
could reappear in Great Britain before next year, when he saw how 
much the Queen needed his wife's companionship. 

THE FIRST ENGLISH GRANDCHILD 

On the 8th of January, 1864, great commotion was occasioned 
at Frogmore by the premature birth of the Queen's "first English 
grandchild," as Princess Alice described the little Prince, who was 
baptized and named Albert Victor at Buckingham Palace, on the 
10th of March, the first anniversary of the wedding of his parents, the 
Prince and Princess of Wales. Cheered by the appearance of an 
heir to her heir-apparent, the Queen directed that her next birthday 
should be kept in London with the renewal of those signs of glad- 
ness which had been stayed for two years by her grief and by the 
nation's sympathy with her sorrow. London once again resounded 
with the birthday salutes from the tower and the park, and a great 
multitude gathered in St. lames's Park to witness the review of the 
household troops. On her way to Balmoral in the following August, 
with the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Her Majesty 
stayed at Perth to unveil the statue that had been erected there in 
memory of the good Prince Consort. 

Ever thoughtful of her subjects, the Queen, on the 1st of 
January, 1865, was moved by the recent frequency of railroad 
accidents to direct Sir Charles Phipps to write in her name to the 
directors of the principal railway companies, declaring her desire 
that more care should be taken for the safety of passengers. After 
observing that Her Majesty was actuated by no selfish motives in 
callinp- attention to the late accidents, as she was aware of the ex- 
ceptional care taken by directors of railways for her safety, Sir 
Charles Phipps went on to say: "The Queen hopes it unnecessary 
for her to recall to the recollection of railway directors the heavy 
responsibility they have assumed since they have succeeded in secur- 



LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 297 

ing the monopoly of the means of traveling of almost the entire 
population of the country." That the Queen had so far recovered 
from the sharpest anguish of her great sorrow that her children 
could venture to remind her of the darkest passage of her story 
appears from one of Princess Alice's letters. "How much," the 
Princess wrote to her mother on the 7th of February, 1865, "do I 
think of you now [and] the happy silver wedding that would have 
been, where you could have been surrounded by so many of us." 

Five weeks later sympathy for poor sufferers from the malady 
that in the English climate destroys more lives than any other dis- 
ease determined Her Majesty to visit the Brompton Consumption 
Hospital, on the 14th of March, and thereby to remind the more 
humane of her wealthy subjects of the right so needful an institution 
had to their bounty. In the following month Her Majesty had no 
sooner heard of the assassination of President Lincoln, than she 
hastened to express her sorrow for the deplorable event to the 
American people and to the family of the late President. Instruct- 
ing" her minister at Washington to declare her abhorrence of the 
crime to the American Government, the widowed Oueen_despatched 
a letter of condolence written entirely in her own hand — a letter 
overflowing with pathetic tenderness and sisterly sympathy — to Mrs. 
Lincoln. On the 8th of August the Queen left England and 
journeyed to Coburg with her three unmarried daughters and her 
youngest son, Prince Leopold, to unveil the gilt bronze statue of 
the Prince Consort that stands in the market-place of that picturesque 
town. The month that saw the Queen and her children put nose- 
gays upon the pedestal of this statue until the topmost flowers touched 
the feet of the colossal figure was the month in which Prince Albert, 
the Duke of Coburg's adopted heir, attained his majority. On her 
homeward way during this trip, which covered exactly a month, Her 
Majesty passed through Belgium to Ostend, where she visited her 
dearly beloved uncle, Leopold, and in bidding him adieu did so for 
the last time. 

Four years having passed since the Prince Consort's death, the 

17 



2 9 S L ONEL Y DA YS OF WW O WHO OD 

Queen's regard for the wishes of her people determined her to 
appear more often in public than she had done since her great 
bereavement. On the 6th of February, 1866, she opened her 
seventh Parliament in person, wearing upon the occasion a dress of 
half-mourning — a robe of deep purple velvet and a Mary Stuart cap 
of white lace, with a collar of brilliants about her neck, and the blue 
ribbon of the Order of the Garter upon her breast. Thus attired, 
she sat in silence while the Lord Chancellor read her speech. In 
the following month she instituted the new decoration of the Albert 
Medal, for rewarding persons who should imperil their lives in 
striving to rescue human life from perils at sea ; and twice in the 
same month she went to Aldershot, where she reviewed some of her 
troops. 

It was in this year that the Queen acknowledged Mr. Peabody's 
munificence to the London poor by sending him a miniature portrait 
of herself, together with a letter written entirely by her own hand, 
that gave expression to her admiration of the American millionaire's 
benevolence. "Next to the approval of my own conscience," Mr. 
Peabody remarked in his reply to the Queen's epistle, " I shall 
always prize the assurance which your Majesty's letter conveys 
to me of the approbation of the Queen of England, whose whole 
life has attested that her exalted station has in no deoree diminished 
her sympathy with the humblest of her subjects." The season 
of 1866 is memorable in the annals of "society" as the season 
of two royal marriages, at both of which Her Majesty was present. 
On the 1 2th of June the Queen attended the wedding in Kew 
Church of her cousin, Mary of Cambridge, with Prince Teck ; and 
on the 5th of July Her Majesty appeared in St. George's Chapel, 
Windsor Castle, and there gave her daughter, the Princess Helena, 
to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. 

During this year, in which the Queen gave so many indications 
of a disposition to appear more often in public, and for some time 
before, there were heard in London mutterings of discontent at Her 
Majesty's retirement, and toward the close of the year it occurred 



LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 299 

to a member of Parliament, a Mr. Ayrton, that he might make 
a stir and win notoriety for himself by speaking fearlessly of the 
Queen's prolonged retirement from the world, at a public meeting to 
be held in December at St. James's Hall, London. The meeting 
was in support of a movement for the political enfranchisement 
of the working-classes, and was to be a great gathering of labor 
delegates from the whole country. Mr. Ayrton spoke fearlessly, but 
the effect of his courageous words disappointed him. Before the 
proceedings of the evening were closed with the customary vote of 
thanks to the chairman, the great statesman, John Bright, made 
a speech in these memorable words : 

JOHN BRIGHT'S NOBLE WORDS 

"I am not accustomed to stand up in defense of those who are 
possessors of crowns, but I could not sit and hear that observation 
without a sensation of wonder and of pain. I think there has been, 
by many persons, a great injustice done the Queen in reference to 
her desolate and widowed position, and I venture to say this, that a 
woman, be she Queen of a great realm or the wife of one of your 
laboring men, who can keep alive in her heart a great sorrow for 
the lost object of her life and affection is not at all likely to be 
wanting in a great and generous sympathy for you." 

The effect of these manly words on the great meeting was pro- 
digious. Rising to their feet, the auditors shook the roof of the 
building with their cheering, and from cheering they passed to 
singing, with strong emotion, "God Save the Queen!" Whether 
Her Majesty ever heard of the speech or not, it is a pleasing inci- 
dent that when Mr. Bright lost his wife, a kind message came from 
Windsor Castle expressing her sympathy in his bereavement. 

At a later time an article appeared in the London "Times" 
in her defense. There were rumors that it was from the Queen's 
own pen, but these were not confirmed. After touching on the 
popular expressions of feeling it said : "The Queen heartily appre- 
ciates the desire of her subjects to see her, and whatever she can 



3co L ON EL Y DA YS OF WID O WHO OD 

do to gratify them in this loyal, affectionate wish she will do. 
Whenever any real object is to be obtained by her appearing on 
public occasions, any national interest to be promoted, or anything 
to be encouraged which is for the good of her people, her Majesty 
will not shrink, as she has not shrunk, from any personal sacrifice 
or exertion, however painful. But there are other and higher 
duties than those of mere representation which are now thrown on 
the Queen alone and unassisted — duties which she can not neglect 
without injury to the public service ; which weigh unceasingly upon 
her, overwhelming her with work and anxiety. . . . To call 
upon her to undergo, in addition, the fatigue of those mere state 
ceremonies which can be equally well performed by other English 
members of her family is to ask her to run the risk of entirely dis- 
abling herself for the discharge of those other duties which can not 
be neglected without serious injury to the public interests." 

The publication of this remarkable state paper had a good 
effect on popular sentiment, and the effect would have been greater 
if ordinary people had been in a position to understand, as is known 
now, the magnitude and importance to the state of the Queen's 
duties. 

In February, 1867, the Queen opened Parliament for the session 
that gave the country a measure of electoral reform even more 
momentous than the great reform bill of William the Fourth's time, 
and which we explain elsewhere in this volume. The year that 
admitted the working classes to so large a share in the government 
of the country saw the publication of " The Early Years of the 
Prince Consort," the first of the series of books by which the Queen 
has taken those classes, together with all sorts and conditions of the 
educated people of Great Britain, into her privacy and domestic 
confidence. Unlike those other sovereigns who show themselves 
once in a while to the populace in public places, but are known 
in no closer or kindlier way to the multitude, the Queen has, by 
these remarkable books, opened the doors of her palace to her sub- 
jects of every order and degree, and said, even to the humblest of 



LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 303 

them, " Come in and know me, even as I am known to the members 
of my household and my nearest kindred." On die 20th of May 
the Queen laid the foundation-stone of the Royal Albert Hall at 
Kensington Gore, and in doing so gave utterance to her hope that 
die building about to be raised to her husband's honor would "look 
down on such a center of institutions for the promotion of art and 
science as it was his fond hope to establish" in that western quarter. 

DEATH OF A FAITHFUL FRIEND 

In the faithful execution of her promise to appear in public 
whenever she could further any national interest by doing so the 
Queen went in May, 1870, to Burlington Gardens, and there opened 
the new buildings of the University of London, an institution that 
began its career of splendid service to science in the first year of 
Her Majesty's reign. In the following month, though time and the 
gradual failure of the invalid's powers had prepared her for the 
event, the Queen felt acutely the death of her old friend, Sir James 
Clark, M. D., on whom she had conferred a baronetcy in the first 
year of her reign. Grateful to him for strictly professional services 
(it was the Queen's way to be grateful to those who served her 
faithfully), she honored this exemplary physician for his several 
noble qualities, and more especially for the uncomplaining dignity 
with which he had borne the obloquy that was cast upon him by un- 
informed and talkative people who conceived that he had on one 
occasion given her bad counsel. On the monument which she placed 
in Hughenden Church to the memory of Lord Beaconsfield, Her 
Majesty caused the sculptor to put in enduring letters the fit words : 
"Kings loved him that speaketh right." The Queen, who honored 
the statesman for the truth and wisdom of his words, in like manner 
honored the physician who spoke that which was right and never 
repined at the consequences. 

Having opened Parliament in person on the 9th of February, 
1871, the Queen appeared on the 21st of March at the marriage of 
Princess Louise to the Marquis of Lome, which was celebrated at 



304 LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 

St. George's Chapel, Windsor, with pomp and splendor, the bride 
being "given away " by her mother. Eight days later Her Majesty 
went in state to Kensington Gore and opened the Royal Albert 
Hall, just three years and nine months after she had laid the 
foundation-stone of the building. The Franco-German war having 
been fought to an end bitter for the power that had entered so 
lightly on the stern struggle, and Napoleon III. having passed from 
imperial grandeur to sad exile, the Queen went in April to Chisel- 
hurst to pay a visit of courtesy to the fallen emperor and empress. 
Later in the year the Queen neared another passage of search- 
ing trouble and anxiety. Nearly ten years had passed since her 
husband's death ; she had survived the tenth anniversary of the day 
on which he began to fall ill of typhoid fever, when, on her return 
from Scotland to Windsor, she received from Sandringham, on the 
25th of November, the alarming intelligence that her eldest son was 
already suffering from an attack of the same malady, or at least 
from severe febrile illness that would probably prove to be an attack 
of the same malady. On the 9th of November (the Prince of 
Wales' birthday) Princess Alice had written cheerily and tenderly 
from Sandringham to her mother: "Bertie and Alix are so kind, 
and give us so warm a welcome, showing how they like having us, 
that it feels quite home. . . . They are both charming hosts, and 
all the party suit well together." On the twenty-ninth the Queen 
was journeying to Norfolk to aid in nursing her son. It does not 
appear precisely from printed records how much or little the Queen 
knew of the Prince's illness before her arrival at Windsor. It is 
enough to know that before she started for Sandringham the bul- 
letins of the Prince's physicians had informed her of his alarming 
condition, and that she passed the next fortnight in agonizing 
apprehension. Fortunately, the time at which it was feared the 
invalid would succumb to the disease was the time at which he 
began to throw off the fever and gain strength. On the 19th of 
December, just three weeks after a rapid journey to Norfolk, the 
Queen returned to Windsor with a strong and reasonable hope for 



LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 305 

the invalid's recovery ; and seven days later she published the 
simple and beautiful letter which declared how deeply she and the 
Princess of Wales had been stirred by the nation's sympathy with 
their domestic trouble. 

Two months later the nation that had shared so fully in the 
anxiety of the reigning" house joined with the royal family in return- 
ing thanks to Heaven for the Prince's preservation. On the day of 
thanksgiving (the 27th of February, 1872) the acclamations which 
greeted and followed the Queen and Princess of Wales as they 
drove to St. Paul's Cathedral declared the sentiments of the whole 
people of Great Britain, and at a later hour of the day of universal 
felicitation, when the millions of a mighty people were rejoicing and 
giving thanks to God with one heart and one voice, the Archbishop 
of Canterbury touched the right chord deftly in uttering the words 
"Members one of another," as the text for the sermon which he 
preached in the great cathedral to a congregation of 13,000 indi- 
viduals. 

Two days after this celebration Her Majesty suffered discom- 
fort from the folly of Arthur O'Connor, an Irish youth. On her 
return from carriage exercise in Hyde Park the Queen had driven 
into the courtyard of Buckingham Palace, when this fellow (a clerk 
in an oil and color warehouse) rushed up to Her Majesty's carriage, 
holding out a parchment in his left hand, while he pointed a pistol 
at the Queen with his right hand. Having at first approached the 
Queen's carriage on her left hand, the simpleton ran around to the 
other side of the carriage, and again extended the parchment and 
the pistol in a menacing manner. It gave John Brown little trouble 
to seize and hold the lad, whose pistol was, on examination, found 
to be uncharged, and whose piece of parchment proved to be a 
petition for the release of imprisoned Fenians. John Brown and 
Arthur O'Connor were fitly rewarded for their respective parts in 
this affair. While the beardless Fenian was sentenced to a smart 
birching and a year's imprisonment with hard labor, Her Majesty's 
capable body servant received from his mistress a gold medal and a 



*o6 L ONEL Y DA YS OF WID O WHO OD 

pension for life of ^25 per annum. The Queen, who had for some 
time entertained a design of establishing an order for the acknowl- 
edgment of merit in her domestic servants, now executed her 
design, and distinguished John Brown by according to him the 
honor of being the first wearer of the new medal for good service. 
The marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Grand Duchess 
Marie of Russia having been celebrated at St. Petersburg on the 
23d of January, 1874, the bride and bridegroom passed through 
London in the following March, in weather that perhaps reminded 
the Archduchess agreeably of the weather in the land from which she 
had come. But though the snow fell in large flakes upon the open 
carriage in which the Queen drove with the newly married couple 
and Princess Beatrice through the crowded streets, Her Majesty 
discovered no coldness in the welcome accorded to herself and her 
children by the people of her capital. 

PROCLAIMED EMPRESS OF INDIA 

May-day, 1876, is memorable in recent annals as the day on 
which the Queen was proclaimed " Empress of India," and in the 
same month Her Majesty was again seen on two occasions by large 
numbers of her people — on the second at a military review at Alder- 
shot, and on the thirteenth at the opening of the show of scientific 
instruments. On the 17th of August she was present at the unveil- 
ing of the statue of the Prince Consort at Edinburgh, and on the 
26th of September she gave new r colors to the Royal Scots (which 
was her father's regiment) at Ballater, in the presence of some two 
or three thousand people, both of which ceremonies are described in 
her book, " More Leaves." 

In February, 1878, the Queen was reminded of the quickness 
with which the years glide away by the marriage of the Princess 
Charlotte of Prussia. Now that she had a married granddaughter, 
the Queen, with many grandchildren, was nearing the*.time when she 
would become a great-grandmother. On the 29th of April twelve 
ladies, two of them being the Marchioness of Salisbury and the 



LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 307 

Marchioness Ripon, were invested, at Windsor Castle, by Her 
Majesty, the Queen of Great Britain and Empress of India, with the 
Imperial Order of the Crown of India. 

In November the Queen parted for a long term with her 
daughter Louise, who in that month went with her husband to 
Canada, and a few weeks later all classes of Her Majesty's subjects 
were in mourning for their loss of the Princess Alice. 

A few days after the Duke of Connaught's marriage with 
Princess Louise of Prussia, the Queen and Princess Beatrice went, 
in March, 1879, to northern Italy, and, after passing four weeks 
near the Lago Maggiore, returned to England by way of Turin, 
Paris, and Cherbourg, the pleasure of the trip having been diminished 
to both tourists by the intelligence of the death of Her Majesty's 
grandson, Prince Waldemar of Prussia. On the 12th of May, ere 
she had fully completed her sixtieth year, the Queen became a great- 
grandmother, by the appearance of the first-born child of the Prince 
and Princess of Saxe-Meiningen. 

On the 2d of March, 1882, Her Majesty was disquieted by 
another futile attempt to slay or terrorize her. She had just alighted 
from a train at Windsor on her return from town, and was proceed- 
ing to her carriage, when Roger Maclean shot at her with a pistol. 
On his trial for high treason the perpetrator of this outrage was 
acquitted of the charge on the score of insanity, and as a dangerous 
lunatic was committed to custody during the Queen's pleasure. 
Twelve days after the attempt the Queen and Princess Beatrice 
started for a trip and sojourn to Mentone, from which they returned 
to Windsor Castle on the 14th of April. At the close of the month 
St. George's Chapel, Windsor, was the scene of another royal wed- 
ding — the wedding of Leopold, Duke of Albany, with the Princess 
Helen of Waldeck. On the 6th of May the Queen went in state 
to Epping Forest, and, in the presence of the Ranger, the Duke of 
Connaught, the Lord Mayor of London, and a vast assemblage of 
her subjects, dedicated the forest to the perpetual use and enjoy- 
ment of the people. In the last chapter of "More Leaves" the 



3o8 L ONEL Y DA YS OF WID O WHO OD 

reader is told of die successive emotions of anxiety and delight that 
stirred Her Majesty's breast in September, 1882, on the eve of the 
battle of Tel-el-Kebir, and in the hours following closely on the 
arrival at Balmoral of Sir John M'Neill's telegram, " A great victory ; 
Duke safe and well." Sir John's brief message was followed quickly 
by Sir Garnet Wolseley's longer telegram, closing with the words, 
" Duke of Con naught is well, and behaved admirably, leading his 
brigade to the attack." As the Duchess of Connaught was staying 
with her at the time (the i'3th of September), the Queen had no 
sooner glanced at the message than she hastened with the precious 
slip of paper in her hand to her daughter-in-law. " Brown brought 
the telegram," says the Queen in her "Journal," "and followed me 
to Beatrice's room, where Louischen was, and I showed it to her. 
I was myself quite upset, and embraced her warmly, saying what joy 
and pride and cause for thankfulness it was to know our darling was 
safe and so much praised. . . . We were both much overcome." 
An hour later the Queen and Princess Beatrice were at the Ballater 
railway station, exchanging salutes, and embraces, and felicitations 
with the Duke and Duchess of Albany, whose "home-coming" 
could not have fallen on a more fortunate day. There was much 
rejoicing at Balmoral in the afternoon ; and at 9 p.m. Craig Gowan 
blazed at its summit with a great bonfire, even as it flamed forth in 
the darkness more than a quarter of a century since, after the fall 
of Sebastopol. In the following November Her Majesty was at 
pains to render due honor to her victorious army. After reviewing 
8000 soldiers in St. James' Park on the 18th of November, she on 
subsequent days of the same month decorated the flower of her 
Egyptian heroes with medals and orders. On the 4th of December, 
1 88 1, she went to the Strand and opened the new Courts of Justice. 
The next year is chiefly memorable in Her Majesty's personal 
history for a serious accident that caused her much bodily pain, for 
the death of the faithful domestic who had for many years acted as 
her personal attendant, and for the beautiful way in which she cele- 
brated his sterling goodness. Early in the year the Queen slipped 



LONELY DAYS OF WIDOWHOOD 309 

and fell on one of the staircases of Windsor Castle, and in fallinp- 
upon one of her knees received a sprain that crippled her for 
several weeks, and gave her acute pain for some months after she 
had in some degree recovered the use of the injured limb. Her 
Majesty was still personally helpless from this misadventure, and 
enduring the sharpest of the various kinds of discomfort which it 
occasioned her, when the trusty Highlander for the first time during 
his long service failed in his duty to his beneficent mistress. Struck 
down by sudden illness, the faithful fellow died on the 27th of 
March, the third day from his seizure. " His loss to me," the 
Queen wrote eight months later, with fine womanly feeling, in the 
concluding note to "More Leaves," "ill and helpless as I was at 
the time from an accident, is irreparable, for he deservedly pos- 
sessed my entire confidence ; and to say that he is daily, nay, 
hourly, missed by me, whose lifelong gratitude he won by his con- 
stant care, attention, and devotion, is but a feeble expression of the 
truth." The volume which closes with this simple utterance is 
gratefully dedicated by the Queen and Empress to her "loyal 
Highlanders, and especially to her devoted personal attendant and 
faithful friend, John Brown." From the literature of dedications it 
would be easy to produce curious examples of servility in the lan- 
guage with which needy authors commended their writings to the 
protection of powerful patrons, and curious exhibitions of amiable 
arrogance in the terms with which authors of high degree have 
deigned to notice their humble worshipers. But one would search 
English literature in vain for a dedication that, for simple natural- 
ness and generous emotion, might be compared with Her Majesty's 
tribute of regard for the domestic servant, of whom she says .: 

' ' A truer, nobler, trustier heart, 
More loyal and more loving, never beat 
Within a human breast. ' ' 

On the 2 1 st of June, 1887, the completion of the fiftieth year 
of the Queen's reign was celebrated by a Jubilee Festival whose 



3 io L ONEL Y DA YS OF WID O WHO OD 

importance merits the extended treatment we give it in a separate 
chapter. Of all the great personages who came to London from 
foreign lands to figure in this famous celebration, no one showed to 
greater advantage than Her Majesty's son-in-law, the then Crown 
Prince of Prussia, though he was already suffering from the disease 
of which he was to die in the following year. From that time until 
the incurable malady had run its course the Queen was greatly 
troubled by the invalid's state; and when he died so soon after his 
accession to imperial greatness, her heart was tortured by sympathy 
with her daughter, who resembled her mother in having lost a 
beloved husband at a comparatively early age. 

A COMFORTING ANGEL TO THE DISTRESSED 

In all these many ways the Queen spent the lonely days of her 
widowhood. Her own sorrow drew her to those who grieved, and 
her naturally quick sympathies, tendered by her affliction, made her 
a comforting angel to the distressed. When our second martyred 
President fell by the hand of the assassin, she showed her sympathy 
with the people of the American Republic by ordering her court to 
wear mourning for President Garfield, and at the funeral of the 
murdered President it was remarked that none of the wreaths which 
covered his coffin was more beautiful than the wreath from the 
Queen of Great Britain. 




THE QUEEN AND PRINCE ALBERT VICTOR OF WALES 



CHAPTER XVIII 
A Series of Passing Incidents 

IT is proposed to give, in the present chapter, certain events in 
the Queen's career, of mingled joyful and sorrowful strain, not 

included in the preceding chapters. Among these events were 
a number of attacks on her life. One of these we have told — that 
of the boy who fired at her in 1840. In 1842 she was fired at by a 
man named John Francis, who was sent to prison for life. Another 
attempt to frighten or injure her was made by a hunchbacked lad 
named Bean, who was sentenced to a long imprisonment. 

That these attacks only sprang from a crazy desire for noto- 
riety was recognized by the Queen herself, who observed that they 
would be repeated so long as the law invested them with the dig- 
nity of high treason. The result proved the wisdom of this remark, 
for when such offenses were made punishable by transportation, 
together with a whipping, Her Majesty was not molested by fanatics 
and mountebanks for seven years. Then, on July 19, 1849, an Irish 
bricklayer named Hamilton fired at her a pistol loaded with powder 
only. As usual, the Queen was perfectly self-possessed. She stood 
up, bade the coachman drive on, and began to talk energetically 
to her children, to divert their attention. The man was sentenced 
to the same punishment as the hunchback Bean. 

In June, 1850, Her Majesty was the victim of an outrage of 
another kind. She was returning from a visit to her uncle, the 
Duke of Cambridge, who was dying. As her carriage passed out 
of the gateway of Cambridge House, a gentlemanly looking man 
named Pates, who had been a captain of hussars, rushed forward, 
and struck the Queen on the face with a small stick, inflicting a 

313 



314 A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 

wound which, although severe, did not prevent her going to the 
opera next evening. 

Not until 1872 was there any further attack. In February 
of that year, as the Queen was alighting from her carriage, an Irish 
lad, Arthur O'Connor, to whom we have previously referred, rushed 
forward with a pistol in one hand and a paper containing some 
petition in the other. He was promptly seized by John Brown, one 
of the attendants. O'Connor was found to be insane ; as was also 
Roger Maclean, who in 1882 fired at Her Majesty as she was 
entering her carriage at Windsor station. These later assailants, 
like the first, were pronounced insane and confined in mad-houses. 

LITTLE GIRL WRITES LETTER TO THE QUEEN 

The following child's letter, received by Her Majesty the morn- 
ing after the last-mentioned attempt, well illustrates the feeling 
of the nation : 

"My Dea?' Queen : My papa has just come home and said 
that some bad man has tried to shoot you. What a wicked man he 
must be to want to shoot such a good Queen ! I hope he will 
be punished for it. Papa says he must be mad, and I think that he 
must be the maddest man that ever lived. I am so glad that you 
have not been hurt, and so are papa and mama. Good-night, and 
may God bless you. 

" (Signed) Edith E. Elliott. 

"67, Bennerley Road, Wandsworth Common." 

A gracious letter of thanks was sent to the child. 

The Queen, as we have already told, made escapes of a different 
kind during her early years, one being her narrow escape from death 
on board her yacht. 

Forty-two years after this, when Her Majesty was crossing over 
from Osborne to Gosport, the yacht Mistletoe collided with the 
royal yacht. The Mistletoe was sunk, with the result that the sister- 
in-law of the owner and an old man perished. Her Majesty, who 
was on deck at the time, was much distressed. 



A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 3*5 

Shortly after coming to the throne the Queen and her mother 
were out driving, when the horses took fright and bolted. A pub- 
lican bravely ran into the road and stopped them near Highgate 
Hill. He was graciously thanked, and being asked to name his 
reward, he said : " Permission to put the Queen's arms on my sign." 
It was granted, and next day a pocket-book was sent him, concern- 
ing which, when asked by his friends, he simply said : " Heavy, very 
heavy." 

There were other escapes besides this, including a carriage 
accident in Scotland and a railway accident in 185 1, but the Queen 
came through them all unharmed. 

A good deal of amusement, accompanied by not a little annoy- 
ance, was caused by the proceedings of a boy who soon became 
known as " the boy Jones." This lad found his way again and 
again into Buckingham Palace, secreting himself in the chimneys 
and so forth during the day, and emerging at night. He seems 
to have had no intention of robbery or violence, but merely wanted 
to be in the Queen's presence ; and he boasted he had repeatedly 
listened to conversations between Her Majesty and Prince Albert. 
He was caught and searched, but nothing of a dangerous character 
was found upon him. In his examination before a magistrate he 
said he had entered the palace only to gratify his curiosity and 
learn how royal people and "great swells," like royal footmen, 
lived. His examination caused much amusement, he boastino- that 
he had spent whole days in the palace ; in fact, had " put up " 
there. He added: "And a very comfortable place I found it. I 
used to hide behind the furniture and up the chimneys in the day- 
time ; when night came I walked about, went into the kitchen and 
got my food. I have seen the Queen and her ministers in council, 
and heard all they had to say. ... I know my way all over 
the palace, and have been all over it,' the Queen's apartment and 
all. The Queen is very fond of politics." 

He was so jolly and impudent a vagabond, and so young, that 
he was let off with a light punishment. He made his way again 



316 A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 

into the palace, and this time said he had heard a long conversation 
between the Queen and Prince Albert while lying under a sofa in 
one of her private apartments. Finally, as he seemed incorrigible 
in his mania for entering the palace, he was sent to sea and induced 
to go to Australia, where he became a well-to-do colonist. The ease 
with which he entered and made his way about the royal mansion 
speaks poorly for the watchfulness of the household at that period. 
It led to more care being taken to prevent intrusion. 

QUEEN SENDS HELP TO STARVING IRELAND 

During the autumn of 1848 famine and disease raged in Ireland, 
while England and Scotland did not altogether escape. The Queen 
felt deeply for her people ; wrote a pleading for help ; sent all she 
could, and reduced the palace expenses in every possible way in 
order to aid the starving Irish. How England responded to her 
appeal and example history records. It is stated that the gaieties 
of the London season ceased, and every one contributed all they 
could. The Queen's letter alone resulted in ^"1 7 1,533. 

" At last," says Sir Charles Trevelyan, " the famine was stayed. 
The affecting and heart-rending crowds of destitutes disappeared 
from the streets ; the cadaverous, hunger-stricken countenances of 
the people gave place to looks of health ; deaths from starvation 
ceased ; and cattle-stealing, the plunder of provisions, and other 
crimes prompted by want of food were diminished by one-half in 
the course of a single month. It was one of the noblest and 
grandest attempts ever made to battle with a national calamity. 
Organized armies, amounting altogether to some hundreds of thou- 
sands, had been rationed before, but neither ancient nor modern 
history can furnish a parallel to the fact that upward of three millions 
of persons were fed every day in the neighborhood of their own 
homes by administrative arrangements emanating from and con- 
trolled by one central office." 

During- this memorable time of sorrow our good Oueen was 
found in the forefront of those who sought to mitigate the woes and 



A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 3*7 

horrors of famine and distress. This intense practical sympathy 
with suffering had ever been eminently characteristic of Queen 
Victoria. 

On the 25th of January, 1858, the Princess Royal was married 
to Prince Frederick William of Prussia, afterward the Crown Prince 
of Germany. For days before, the ceremony had been the common 
topic of conversation in society. The Princess was very popular, 
and the many splendid gifts she received were some slight evidence 
of this popularity. The marriage was celebrated in the Chapel 
Royal of St. James, and all the members of the royal family were 
present, besides many other illustrious and noble guests. Follow- 
ing the wedding ceremony were numerous elaborate receptions, 
after which the bride and bridegroom left for Windsor, where they 
were to spend the honeymoon. 

The day was observed as a general holiday throughout the 
United Kingdom, and in the evening London was brilliantly illumi- 
nated. Only two days after the marriage the court removed to 
Windsor, and Her Majesty created her royal son-in-law a Knight of 
the Order of the Garter. On the twenty-ninth, the court and the 
newly married couple returned to Buckingham Palace. In the 
evening a state visit was paid to Her Majesty's Theater, when 
"The Rivals" and "The Spitalfields' Weaver" were performed. 
Addresses of congratulation poured in upon the bride and bride- 
groom. 

The first grandchild of the Queen was born at Berlin, on the 
27th of January, 1859. The infant Prince's mother was then only 
nineteen years of age, and his grandmother only forty. At his 
christening the child had forty-two godfathers and godmothers. 
This infant became William II., the all-potent Emperor of Germany. 

These days of joy were followed by days of deep sorrow for the 

Queen, over whose head heavy trials were impending. The 

Duchess of Kent, then in her seventy-sixth year, was showing 

alarming symptoms of breaking health. 

On the 15th of March, "while resting quite happily in her arm- 
18 



3i8 A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 

chair," the Duchess was seized with a shivering fit, from which 
serious consequences were apprehended. The Queen, the Prince 
Consort, and Princess Alice left Buckingham Palace immediately on 
receiving the information, and reached Frogmore in two hours, 
which seemed to her Majesty like an age. The Prince Consort first 
went up to see the Duchess, and when he returned with tears in his 
eyes, the Queen knew what to expect. She went up the staircase 
with a trembling heart and entered her mother's room. The 
Queen writes thus in her diary: "I asked the doctors if there was 
no hope. They said they feared none whatever, for consciousness 
had left her." 

DEATH OF THE QUEEN'S MOTHER 

The Queen remained through the night by the side of the un- 
conscious sufferer. In the morning her husband took her away for 
a short time, but she soon returned to her vigils. Holding the 
Duchess' hand, she sat down on a footstool and awaited the issue. 
"I fell on my knees," subsequently wrote her Majesty, "holding 
the beloved hand, which was still warm and soft, though heavier, 
in both of mine. I felt the end was fast approaching, as Clark 
went out to call Albert and Alice, I only left gazing on that beloved 
face, and feeling as if my heart would break. ... It was a 
solemn, sacred, never-to-be-forgotten scene. Fainter and fainter 
grew the breathing ; at last it ceased, but there was no change 
of countenance — nothing ; the eyes closed as they had been for 
the last half-hour. . . . The clock struck half-past nine at the 
very moment. Convulsed with sobs, I fell on the hand and covered 
it with kisses. Albert lifted me up and took me into the next 
room — himself entirely melted into tears, which is unusual for him 
— and clasped me in his arms. I asked if all was over ; he said 
' Yes.' I went into the room again, after a few minutes, and gave 
one look. My darling mother was sitting as she had done before, 
but was already white. O God ! how awful ! how mysterious ! 
But what a blessed end — her gentle spirit at rest, her sufferings 
over." 



A SERIES OE PASSING INCIDENTS 3*9 

We have spoken of trials. A still heavier one than the loss of 
her mother was then impending over the Queen — the death of the 
Prince Consort, which has been made the subject of a preceding 
chapter. 

In 1863 came a diversion to the deep grief of the orphaned and 
widowed monarch in the marriage of her eldest son, the Prince of 
Wales. This coming- event was announced to the Houses of Parlia- 
ment on February 19, 1863. The chosen bride was the Princess 
Alexandra, daughter of King Christian of Denmark, a maiden of 
unusual personal charms and of great loveliness of character. She 
had visited England in her youth, staying with her grandaunt, the 
Duchess of Cambridge, and it is said that the Prince of Wales fell 
in love with a miniature portrait of the Princess which he saw at the 
house of this Duchess, and intrusted to a confidential friend the task 
of repairing to Copenhagen to see her and to bring back a reliable 
report of her personality. Subsequently an informal meeting took 
place between the Princess and Prince, concerning which the suspi- 
cion has existed that it was prearranged by the latter. At all events, 
when the Prince was traveling abroad, in 1 861, he went with his 
attendants one day to see the famous cathedral of Worms, and there 
met Prince Christian and the blue-eyed Alexandra, also sight-seeing. 
Again, while staying at Heidelberg, the Prince encountered her, and 
his father, the Prince Consort, recorded in his diary : " We hear 
nothing but excellent accounts of the Princess Alexandra ; the young 
people have evidently taken a warm liking to each other." 

England's future queen consort 
The early years of the Princess had been spent in the simplest 
and most wholesome manner. At the time of her birth her father, 
Prince Christian, had no expectation of ever succeeding to the 
throne of Denmark, for he belonged to a younger branch of the 
house of Oldenburg. His income was small for the maintenance 
of a family numbering five children, but he was cast in an intel- 
lectual mold, as was his wife, and the two supplemented whatever 



320 A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 

was lacking in the instruction furnished by teachers who came to 
Gule daily, for the services of resident tutors and governesses were 
pecuniarily beyond reach. 

The Princess Christian was a w T ise and careful mother. Her 
daughters she taught the arts of dressmaking and millinery, so that 
they could manufacture their own wardrobes, and household tasks 
of all kinds formed part of their education. Princess Alexandra 
remarked herself in later years: "We were made to learn when we 
were children ; our parents told us it was necessary." She herself, 
though not especially studious, inherited the maternal talent for 
music and embroidery; in fact, in all gentle and feminine arts she 
seemed to excel. She was early pronounced the beauty of the 
family. 

Prince Christian had, from his thirteenth year, been the adopted 
son of the reioqiina- monarch of Denmark, Kino- Christian VIII., and 
his prospects were considerably altered upon the death of the latter 
in the year 1852. Frederick VII. then came to the throne, and 
Prince Christian was formally constituted heir to the monarchy. 
No increase of income accompanied these increased honors, how- 
ever, and extreme simplicity still characterized the life of his family. 
The only change of moment was that of removal from Gule to the 
chateau of Bernstorff, which the nation purchased and presented to 

him. 

Alexandra's wholesome early training 

The annals of childhood in the case of Princess Alexandra con- 
tain no striking; incidents. Life at Bernstorff was much more deliofht- 
ful than at Gule. It is narrated how she and her brothers rejoiced 
with natural, childlike joy over the country pleasures now theirs, and 
how they " roamed the woods gathering wild flowers, swinging on 
the branches of great trees in the adjacent forests, cantering along 
the country roads on their ponies, and tending their pet animals." 
Untrammeled by forms and ceremonies of station, surrounded by 
the love of good and wise parents, their lot was more enviable than 
they, perhaps, could appreciate. Stories are multiplied of how, on 




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Sunday, they would accompany their parents on foot to the little 
church of Gjentofie, where the villagers of the neighborhood wor- 
shiped, and of how Alexandra and her sisters visited among the 
peasants, carrying comforts to the needy and words of sympathy to 
the sick or unhappy. These charities were the result of some self- 
sacrifice, doubtless, for, as his children grew older, the modest 
resources of the Prince compelled economy in the household. 

Rosa Carey tells a story ol how three young princesses sat in 
a beautiful old wood, once upon a time, talking " in naive girlish 
fashion " of the future. 

"I should like," said one princess, who was very lively and 
vivacious, "to have all the best things the world can give, so that I 
could do much good." 

"I," observed a younger princess, "should like to be very 
clever and wise and good." 

" And I," observed the third princess, thoughtfully, "should like 
best to be loved." 

The truth of the story can not be vouched for, but it is said 
that these three princesses were Dagmar, Thyra, and Alexandra of 
Denmark, and that she who spoke last realized her ambition by 
going to England as Princess of Wales, and earning the title 
"Queen of Hearts." 

And, indeed, the life-story of Queen Alexandra, so long beloved 
as Princess of Wales, reads like a tale of enchantment. Born to 
modest fortunes, no more simple and retiring existence could be 
imagined than that which she led in the Gule Palace and the chateau 
of Bernstorff. The former of these homes, where her earliest 
years were spent, is described as being in no sense a palace, but 
merely a comfortable dwelling, containing pleasantly furnished rooms 
set around a dull and gloomy courtyard. 

The accession of the father of Alexandra to the throne of Den- 
mark, and the chance discovery of her miniature by the Prince of 
Wales, if this part of the story can be accepted, vastly changed the 
fortunes of the simply reared maiden. 



324 A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 

We have spoken of two interviews of the Prince and Princess. 
At a third, held at the countryseat of King Leopold in 1862, the 
Prince declared his love and the Princess accepted his suit. The 
youthful pair were betrothed, though the fact was not made known 
to the world for months afterward. 

The engagement was of six months' duration, and the prepara- 
tions for the nuptial ceremony were gorgeous in the extreme. It is 
said that the Princess took much pleasure in the elaboration of her 
trousseau, confiding to an intimate friend that " it cost twice as much 
as her father's income for a whole year." One hundred thousand 
kroners, contributed by the Danes, were presented to her as the 
"people's dowry," whereupon the Princess made six dowerless 
Danish brides happy by ordering the division among them of 6000 
thalers. King Leopold of Belgium presented her wedding dress, 
wrought out of Brussels lace. Splendid and numerous were the 
gifts showered upon the bride-elect, and the poor people among 
whom she had lived and moved, and had tended, and whose utmost 
devotion was hers, also had their offering to bring. A deputation of 
villagers, led by the worthy pastor of the little church where she had 
so often worshiped, presented to her a pair of porcelain vases. The 
Princess was so much touched that tears choked the utterance of 
her thanks. 

And so the day came when, with fluttering pennons, throbbing 
hearts, love outpoured, the people of England welcomed the Sea 
King's daughter. Many times it has been told how the waiting 
thousands shouted as with one voice, "Alexandra ! God bless her ! " 
and how her youthful grace and personality magnetized all eyes and 
conquered all hearts. It is said that the crowds in the London 
streets were so great that six women were crushed to death. Two 
days later, March 10th, the Prince of Wales wedded Alexandra of 
Denmark in St. George's Chapel, in which no royal marriage had 
been celebrated since that of Henry I., in the year 1142. 

At once the whole United Kingdom seemed to emerge from the 
gloom and sadness into which it had been plunged for two years. 



A SERIES OF PASSING INCIDENTS 



325 



Mourning was at an end ; illuminations, rejoicings, gladness of heart 

were everywhere. The presents were wonderful for their richness ; 

so much so that a room was opened at Kensington for their special 

exhibition. As a fitting tribute, significant of the national feeling, 

we append the beautiful poem written by Tennyson, then poet 

laureate : 

Sea King's daughter from over the sea, 

Alexandra ! 
Saxon and Norman and Dane are we, 
But all of us Danes in our welcome to thee, 

Alexandra ! 
Welcome her thunders of fort and fleet ! 
Welcome her thundering cheers of the street ! 
Welcome her all things useful and sweet, 
Scatter the blossoms under her feet ! 
Break, happy land, into earlier flowers ! 
Make music, O bird, in the new budded bowers ! 
Blazon your mottos of blessing and prayer ! 
Welcome her, welcome her, all that is ours ! 
Warble, O bugle, and trumpet, blare ! 
Flags flutter out upon turrets and towers ! 
Flames on the windy headland flare ! 
Utter your jubilee, steeple and spire ! 
Clash, ye bells, in the merry March air. 
Flash, ye cities, in rivers of fire ! 
Rush to the roof, sudden rocket, and higher 
Melt into stars for the land's desire ! 
Roll and rejoice, jubilant voice, 
Roll as a ground swell dash'd on the strand ; 
Roar as the sea when he welcomes the land ; 
And welcome her, welcome the land's desire, 
The Sea King's daughter, as happy, as fair, 
Blissful bride of a blissful heir — 
Bride of the heir of the king of the sea ! 
O joy to the people and joy to the throne ; 
Come to us, love us, and make us your own ; 
For Saxon or Dane or Norman we, 
Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be, 
We are each all Dane in our welcome to thee, 

Alexandra ! 



2,26 A SERIES OE PASSING INCIDENTS 

It was a fitting tribute to a woman who has proved herself at 
once good and noble. Her devotedness as wife and mother, the 
charities and domestic sweetness of her private life at Sandringham, 
the charm of her manners and beauty when seen at public functions, 
made her dearer to the people with each year of her residence in 
England, and the British nation has great cause for thanksgiving 
that Queen Victoria has such a noble and worthy successor in Queen 
Alexandra. 

In 1875 the Prince visited India, and received an ovation in that 
oriental land which reads like one of the tales of the " Arabian 
Nights." On May 1st of the following year Victoria, Queen of 
Great Britain and Ireland, was proclaimed Empress of India. 

DEATH OF PRINCESS ALICE 

On December 14, 1878, the anniversary of the Prince Consort's 
death, his beloved daughter and faithful nurse, the Princess Alice, 
died — and died, it will be remembered, a martyr to her love for her 
children. The little ones and her husband had been sufferine from 
diphtheria. One died, and it seems that the eldest boy. in sym- 
pathizing with his mother, impulsively threw his arms around her and 
kissed her. It was the kiss of death. She caught the disease, and, 
worn out with anxiety and watching, she could not resist, but after a 
few days' illness passed away. 

Since the death of the Prince Consort, seventeen years before, 
nothing had so stirred the deepest sympathies of the nation, for the 
Princess was warmly loved. For a time the Queen seemed utterly 
overwhelmed by the loss of her tenderly affectionate daughter. 



CHAPTER XX 

The Year of Jubilee 

IN the year 1887 came a great occasion in the life of England's 
beloved Queen, that of the fiftieth anniversary of her reign, a year 
of holiday and festivity which was celebrated in all quarters of 
the earth. India led the way, rejoicings being general throughout 
her vast area, from the snowy passes of the lofty Himalayas on the 
north, to the tropical shores of Cape Comorin on the south. Other 
colonies fell into line, the large-hearted and loyal Canadians vieing 
with the sun-burned Africanders of Cape Town and Natal, the mer- 
chants of the West Indies with the planters of the East Indies, in 
celebrating worthily the Jubilee of of Britain's Queen. 

THREE ROYAL JUBILEES 

England has known, in earlier times, three Royal Jubilees — 
those of Henry III., Edward III., and George III. All of these 
sovereigns reigned over fifty years, and it is a curious coincidence 
they should all have been III. of the title. A few lines may be 
devoted to the circumstances of these Royal Jubilees, which will 
make it clear that Victoria's Jubilee was brightest of all. 

The reign of Henry III. was one of considerable progress. 
During its course, trial by jury was introduced, and in the Jubilee year 
(1265), the first real English Parliament was summoned by Simon 
de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. The year closed, however, sadly. 
The turmoil of civil war, and the heavy losses of the bloody battle 
of Evesham, made the hearts of men heavy and sore, and they were 
in little humor for Jubilee rejoicings. 

The next Jubilee came in 1376, when Edward III. entered on 
the fiftieth year of his reign. In many respects, it had been a 

327 



THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 



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THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 329 

sorely mourned its most brilliant hero of chivalry. And before the 
year's close, disorder and disunion were rampart, and civil war was 
threatened, so that Edward's Jubilee came to as dark and cloudy 
an end as that of Henry, a century before. 

Nearly five centuries elapsed before there came another year of 
Royal Jubilee. In 18 10 George III. reached the fiftieth year of 
his reign, and widespread festivities took place. It was not 
through any particular admiration for the King, but through the 
general enjoyment of the true Anglo-Saxon in a period of holiday 
and entertainment. The Jubilee was held in great style, and we/ 
read of state banquets, grand reviews, balls, general illuminations, 
free open-air feasts, in which bullocks were roasted whole ; 
deserters from the army and navy were pardoned, foreign prisoners 
of war set free, and a great national subscription made for the 
release of poor debtors. Yet the country was then in the throes 
of its gigantic struggle with Napoleon ; the King, always a man 
of weak intellect and feeble health, was then bereft of reason, the 
Prince of Wales being appointed Regent, and the people's best 
reason for , rejoicing was that their King's inglorious career was 
approaching its end. 

Brightest and best of all the years of Jubilee was that which 
dawned at the end of the Victorian half-century. This period had 
been one of remarkable progress in every field of human endeavor. 
It had been free from blighting pestilence, disastrous wars, deso- 
lating famine, or any of the horrors which came upon England in 
the reigns of many of her former sovereigns. And looking back 
on the story of the fifty years since the well-loved Victoria ascended 
the throne, the hearts of all her subjects were filled with thankful- 
ness that God should have placed the sceptre of the empire in the 
hands of one who had swayed it so long and well. Thus were they 
prepared to hold high jubilee ; to express that heartfelt and hearty 
affection and loyalty which burned no less brightly for their 
widowed Sovereign than for her when, fifty years before, a blush- 
ing maiden, she was hailed as England's Queen. 



330 THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 

The first note of the Jubilee was struck in India, where the 
great Imperial festival was celebrated on the sixteenth of Febru- 
ary. In presidency towns, inland cities, the capitals of Protected 
States — even in Mandalay, the capital of the newly-conquered 
State of Upper Burmah — natives and Europeans vied with each 
other in acclaiming the event. Announcements of clemency, 
banquets, plays, the distribution of honors, reviews, illuminations — 
all were among the methods adopted for celebrating the Jubilee. 
But these were not the only methods. At Gwalior all arrears 
of land-tax, amounting to five million dollars, were canceled. 
Libraries, colleges schools and hospitals were opened in honor of 
the Empress. 

THE FIFTIETH YEAR OF HER REIGN 

All over England preparations were now being made for the 
great anniversary. The Queen would complete the fiftieth year of 
her reign on the twentieth of June, and the entire first six months 
of the year were a series of preliminary ceremonies for the climax 
of the great celebration. On the twelfth of January occurred a 
meeting for the starting of the Imperial Institute, which was the 
development of thci Colonial and Indian Exhibition into a perma- 
nent exhibit, for the display of the whole vast resources of the 
Empire. The meeting was held at St. James' Palace and presided 
over by the Prince of Wales. It was by such movements as these 
that the Queen most liked to be honored. 

On the 23d of March her Majesty visited Birmingham. The 
city was ready to receive her. Five miles of streets had been 
superbly decorated with flags and festoons and banks of flowers, 
triumphal arches, and trophies emblematic of the industries and 
inventions of the great midland metropolis. In spite of cold and 
very boisterous weather, the Queen set out from Windsor at the 
appointed hour. When the royal party reached Birmingham, how- 
ever, the sun had come out, and lent its brightness to the day for 
the multitude of half a million people who thronged the streets 
in the city. Mr. J. Castell Hopkins thus describes the scene: 



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THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 333 

" A very striking feature of the reception was a semicircle of 
fifteen thousand school-children, a mile long, with the teachers 
standing behind each school, and the groups keeping up all along 
the line a continuous strain of ' God Save the Queen.' At the 
town hall an address was presented by the corporation, and a reply 
read by her Majesty, which concluded with these words : ' During 
the long and eventful period, now extending over fifty years, 
through which my reign has continued, the loyalty and affection of 
my faithful people have been a constant source of support in diffi- 
culty and sorrow, and consolation in affliction." 

After luncheon, the Queen laid the foundation of the future 
Law Courts amid the usual ceremonials. 

On the 23d of April, by the special sanction of the Pope, she 
was allowed to visit the Monastery of the Grandi Chartreuse, 
within whose sacred .precincts no woman's foot is permitted to 
tread. On the 4th of May she received at Windsor Castle the 
representatives of the Colonial Governments, who presented her 
with addresses con^ratulatino; her on having witnessed during hei 
reign her Colonial subjects increase from fewer than 2,000,000 to 
upwards of 9,000,000 souls, her Indian subjects from 96,000,000 to 
254,000,000, and her subjects in minor dependencies from 2,000,000 
to 7,000,000. 

The celebrations now commenced in earnest. A Jubilee 
Exhibition, illustrating the progress in arts and manufactures 
during the Victorian era, was held at Manchester, and opened by 
the Prince and Princess, of Wales. On the 9th of May a large 
deputation representing the Corporation of London waited on the 
Queen at Buckingham Palace, and presented a loyal address of 
congratulation. In her reply she referred to "the sympathy which 
has united the Throne and the people," and to her hope that this 
cordial feeling would always continue unbroken. On the following 
day a most brilliant drawing-room was held, and a private visit 
made to Westminster Abbey in connection with the approaching 
Jubilee Service. She also attended a private performance of the 



334 THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 

feats of the American cow-boys, Indians, and prairie-hunters at the 
"Wild West Show." On the 14th she opened the People's Palace 
at Whitechapel. The royal procession passed through seven miles 
of streets of garlands and banners, drapery and decorations of 
every conceivable kind. Fifteen thousand troops were arranged 
along the route in most effective and imposing style, and the 
throngs of people gave as unmistakable evidences of their loyalty 
and affection for the Queen as she had received in Birmingham. 
At the palace the usual loyal address, enthusiastic cheers, and sym- 
pathetic reply from the Queen took place, and the Prince of Wales, 
in the name of her Majesty, declared the building open. The 
Queen then visited the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, where 
great preparations had been going on to receive the Sovereign in 
state. This visit was a remarkable event, for the Queen had not 
entered the municipal palace since she had visited it with her 
mother two years before her accession to the throne. Seven hun- 
dred invited guests were present, including the Aldermen in their 
scarlet robes and chains, and the Lord Mayor in his state robes of 
crimson velvet and ermine. The latter official received the Queen, 
who was accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales and 
other members of the royal family. Refreshments were then 
served, and the Queen partook of tea and strawberries with her 
civic hosts, with whom she spent fully half an hour, charming the 
company with her affability, and afterward leaving amid enthusiastic 
cheers from the crowds outside. 

THE HOUSE ATTENDED CHURCH IN STATE 

The formal opening of the Jubilee occurred on the 17th, when 
Mr. W. H. Smith, the leader of the House of Commons, proposed 
that in celebration of the fiftieth year of the Queen's reign, the 
House should attend St. Margaret's Church at Westminster on the 
following Sunday. Mr. Gladstone seconded the motion, which was 
unanimously agreed to, and on that day the House of Commons 
attended church in a body for the first time since May 4, 1856, on 



THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 335 

the conclusion of the Crimean War. This was a different occasion, 
however, and for the House to meet in state and go to church to 
offer solemn thanksgivings on the Jubilee of the sovereign's reign 
was absolutely unique. The Speaker led the way and the mem- 
bers followed four abreast. The Queen's Westminster volunteers 
formed a guard of honor and the sermon was preached by the elo- 
quent Bishop of Ripon. 

The next day the issue of the Jubilee Coinage was announced, 
to be marked by an alteration in the likeness of the Queen and by 
the introduction of a new coin, the double florin. On the 20th, 
the Queen received deputations at Windsor from the London and 
Edinburgh Universities, the English Presbyterians, the Society of 
Friends and various other religious bodies. The address from the 
Friends was peculiarly interesting, both from its contents and from 
being read by John Bright, the honored statesman and orator. 

On the 20th, the Court removed to Balmoral, where the Queen 
found her mountain retreat covered with snow. On the 1 7th of 
June the Court returned to Windsor, and on the 18th, the Queen 
received at the Castle several Indian princes and deputations from 
native States, among them being the Maharajah Holkar of Indore. 
As another well says, " Many other commemorations followed in 
the form of banquets, assemblies, balls, and public festivities of 
every kind and character, from the feeding of 6,000 poor people in 
Glasgow to a Jubilee yacht-race around the United Kingdom. 
Meantime presents of every sort and value had been pouring in 
from individuals and collective bodies, princes and potentates in 
the east and west, and men, women and children in all parts of the 
Empire. A typical one was the * Woman's Jubilee Offering,' which 
was to be contributed to by British women and girls, and the 
nature of which was to be decided by the Queen herself." 

The Jubilee itself was celebrated on the 21st of June. The 
chief streets of London were given over to carpenters and uphol- 
sterers, gasmen and floral decorators, who transformed them into a 
veritable bower of beauty. The thoroughfares through which the 



336 THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 

series of brilliant processions passed were decorated in a way impos- 
sible to describe. All previous demonstrations of the kind were 
eclipsed. The route was one long array of brilliant color, shifting 
and gleaming brightness, waving flags and banners and an unpre- 
cedented display of magnificence. 

On the night of the 20th the city was swarming with people 
who had come out hoping to see some of the illuminations tried. 
The 2 1 st dawned fair and beautiful, the sun shining with a fierce 
brightness unusual for England. As the day began, crowds 
streamed into the metropolis, every face bright with the festal spirit 
of the day. 

ALL PREVIOUS DEMONSTRATIONS ECLIPSED 

The line of the procession was from Buckingham Palace to 
Westminster Abbey, and all along the route seats had been engaged 
at fabulous prices. Those who had secured places were in them 
early in the morning, and the crowd, though dense, was in good 
humor, even the police being exceptionally amiable. At the place 
of starting — Buckingham Palace — there were no decorations, but 
the presence of the Guards and of the sailors from the fleet, who 
were on duty within the gates, gave animation to the scene. As 
1 1 o'clock — the hour of starting — approached, a strange silence 
seemed to fall over the noisy, gossiping crowd, as if men and 
women felt awed and touched at the sight of their aged Sovereign 
proceeding in state from her Palace to the old Abbey to thank 
God for permitting her to see the fiftieth year of her reign. It was 
not till the head of the procession moved along and the royal 
carriages came in sight, that the pent-up feeling of the dense masses 
of spectators found utterance in volley after volley of cheers. The 
Queen's face was tremulous with emotion and yet there was triumph 
as well as grateful courtesy in her bearing as she bowed her 
acknowledgements to her subjects. Beside her were the Princess 
of Wales and the German Crown Princess, the latter, who had left 
England to wed in Germany, beaming with happiness and delight 
to find her countrymen still held her dear. The loyal tumult all 



THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 337 

along the line literally drowned the noise of the bands and 
trumpets. 

The Queen rode in a carriage drawn by six cream-colored 
horses, and was attended by walking footmen, was guarded by the 
Duke of Cambridge and an escort, and immediately followed by a 
body-guard of princes. The heir to the throne — the Prince of 
Wales — was mounted on a golden chestnut horse and received 
many and frequent cheers on the way. The first part of the 
procession consisted of carriages in which were seated the sumptu- 
ously appareled Indian Princes, who were clothed in cloth of gold 
and wore turbans blazing with diamonds and precious gems, who 
had come from the far East to celebrate the Jubilee of their 
Empress. Between the eleventh carriage and the Queen's, rode 
the brilliant procession of the Princes. Their appearance all along 
the route was the signal for an outbreak of cheering. The central 
figure of this group was the German Crown Prince, afterward the 
Emperor, Frederick III., whose white uniform and plumed silver 
helmet attracted general admiration. Covered with medals and 
decorations, most of which he had won by his prowess in battle, he 
sat on his charger as proudly as a knight of the .Middle Ages. His 
fair, frank face became radiant with delight when he found peal 
after peal of applause greeted him whenever he appeared. A 
gorgeous cavalcade of Indians brought the splendid procession to 
a close. 

But throughout that marvelous journey, amid millions of her 
subjects standing in masses of loyal enthusiasm, the chief figure, 
the one to whom all eyes and hearts were turned first and last, was 
the Sovereign Lady of the Realm. It was one of the greatest 
popular demonstrations of all history, and little wonder was it that 
the Queen was visibly affected by the evidences of the affections of 
her great people. 

It was half an hour after midday when the procession reached 
Westminster Abbey. The Abbey had been prepared at a cost of 
$85,000 for the reception of 9000 or 10,000 persons, and the scene 

19 



338 THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 

there was one which even that centre of historic splendor had never 
seen equalled. The Queen entered, clad in black, but with a bon- 
net of white Spanish lace, glittering with diamonds, and wearing 
the Orders of the Garter and Star of India. She was accompanied 
by the Lord Chamberlain, and as they entered the Abbey the 
organ pealed forth the strains of a march. 

Waiting for the Queen were officials of Church and State, clad 
in the rich uniforms of their office and proud to do her honor. As 
the Queen walked up the Abbey to her place, in the midst of all 
this gorgeous array, her face beamed with pleasure, and her dignity 
of bearing was unaffected by age or responsibilities or sorrows. 
She looked thoroughly worthy of her great Imperial position and 
of the lustre of a half century's glorious reign. 

The Jubilee Thanksgiving Service now took place, the 
solemnity of the spectacle hushing the throng into silence. Rever- 
ently the Queen took her place on the royal seat, the Princes and 
Princesses of her train near her. Surrounding this shining group 
a vast crowd, representing the genius, the rank, the wealth and the 
chivalry of Britain, filled every nook of the sacred edifice in which 
the Queen celebrated the golden anniversary of her reign. 

The Thanksgiving Service was brief and simple. The Primate 
and the Dean of Westminster officiated, and the music was selected 
largely from the compositions of the Prince Consort. Prayers and 
responses invoking a blessing on the Queen were chanted. Three 
special prayers were offered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and 
two simple prayers were said, and the ceremony, impressive from 
the grandeur of the surroundings and yet thrilling and pathetic 
because of its devotional earnestness and simplicity, ended with the 
benediction. Here the Queen, who was several times overcome with 
emotion, made a movement as if she would rise from her seat on 
the sacred Coronation Stone of Scone and kneel on the space in 
front of her. But she could not reach so far and sank back into 
her place, veiling her bowed face with her hands. She then glanced 
around, and her eyes filled with tears as they rested on her family 



THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 339 

circle. The pent-up feeling of the royal group could no longer be 
restrained,, and the solemn pageant of State suddenly assumed the 
aspect of a family party. The Queen, with an impulsive gesture, 
discarded the Lord Chamberlain, and embraced the Princes and 
Princesses of her house with sincere and unreserved motherly affec- 
tion. The organ pealed forth another march, a nd the Queen, making 
a deep bow to her foreign guests, which they returned, left the scene. 
The procession formed again, and, as the Sovereign returned to Buck- 
ingham Palace, her reception was even more enthusiastic than that 
which had greeted her on the way to the Abbey. 

All over England and in the north of Ireland the Jubilee was 
celebrated as enthusiastically as in London. In the Colonies the 
day was observed even more joyously than in England. 

In foreign lands also the British residents held Jubilee festi- 
vals, the event being especially honored in the United States. 

But of all the Jubilee celebrations perhaps the most charming 
and novel was one which was held in Hyde Park on the 2 2d. 

HAPPY LINE OF SCHOOL-CHILDREN 

On that day the Queen drove in state down a long and happy 
line of 27,000 school-children, to whom had been given a Jubilee 
banquet and various amusements, besides 40,000 toys. After the 
Queen had driven through the children's ranks, the royal ensign 
was hoisted, the national anthem was sung, and a specially manu- 
factured Jubilee ring was presented by her Majesty in a kind 
speech to a little twelve-year-old girl who had attended school for 
seven years without once missing. The Queen received a bouquet 
of orchids bearing the inscription, " Not Queen alone, but Mother, 
Queen and Friend in one." Amid the strains of " Rule, Britannia," 
followed by the singing of " God Bless the Prince of Wales," the 
royal party left the Park. From here the Queen went to Eton 
School, where her reception by 900 boys was more than enthusi- 
astic. The Queen was deeply touched by the delight of her little 
subjects. 



34Q THE YEAR OF JUBILEE 

On the 25th of June appeared a singularly beautiful and 
touching letter, evidently from the Queen's own pen, thanking the 
nation for their display of loyalty and love. The following days 
saw many brilliant functions and ceremonies, but the crowning 
event of the Jubilee occurred on the 4th of July. On that day the 
Queen laid the foundation stone of the Imperial Institute in the 
Albert Hall. The Institute, not being a permanent exhibit of the 
resources of the colonies, is meant to stand as an outward and 
visible sign of the essential unity of the British Empire. The 
Queen, assisted by the Prince of Wales and the architect, laid the 
first solid block of the building — a piece of granite weighing three 
tons. The service in the Abbey had turned all minds on the past, 
but the ceremonial at the Institute invited thought about the 
future and the part of England in the evolution of the English- 
speaking race. 

A review of 56,000 volunteers at Aldershot, the laying at 
Windsor of the foundation stone of a statue to the Prince Consort, 
a grand review of 135 warships at Spithead, amid innumerable 
smaller vessels, 30,000 spectators and royal salutes which made a 
roar like many thousand thunders — these were some of the con- 
cluding ceremonies of the great celebration. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

Palace Life and Royal Entertainments 

'HE stately ceremonials of Court functions were largely modi- 
fied in the simple and unaffected life led by her Majesty at 
home, and when receiving guests and visitors. While ever 
and always Queen, in calm dignity and grace, she had the happy 
faculty of becoming a gracious hostess, and setting her " com- 
manded " guests at their ease. She was exceedingly punctilious 
about the minor courtesies of life, and thoughtfully careful of the 
comfort and pleasure of those who waited upon her. The solemn 
etiquette and formal functions prescribed by rigid rule in many 
Continental Court circles largely disappeared in the freer and more 
genial atmosphere of the Queen's home life. State ceremonies, 
drawing rooms, levees, and receptions have necessarily their forms 
and regulations ; but at home, at Windsor Castle, and more notably 
at Balmoral or Osborne, Her Majesty, while ever dignified, as 
befitted her exalted position, unbended and showed herself a model 
hostess. Many who had won appreciation by noble deeds or dis- 
tinguished service, and had thus been honored with a command 
to visit the Queen, have put on record how greatly they were 
impressed by the combined kindliness and dignity of their reception 
by their Sovereign. 

GENERAL GORDON'S BIBLE. 

It may not be void of interest to give the following fact which 
we have lighted upon in a course of a series of articles on the 
treasures and splendors of the State apartments at Windsor 
Castle: — "More than the big diamond, the silver and the gold, 
and the rare china, does her Majesty prize the plain Bible, 

34i 



342 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

bound in limp leather, and with over-flapping edges, that belonged 
to her faithful servant, General Gordon, and which was brought to 
her by his sister sometime after his sad death. The simply bound 
book is enshrined in a seventeenth century fairy-like casket of 
carved crystal, with silver gilt and enamelled mounts. It lies on a 
cushion of white satin, and is open at the first chapter of the Gos- 
pel of St. John, marked with a blue pencil. The Queen likes all 
her visitors to see this relic of a great man's life, and on more than 
one occasion has herself directed attention to it, and always with 
words of deep feeling." 

The Queen's love for and remembrance of anniversaries was 
said to be almost proverbial, and those which marked the more 
sorrowful events of her life were kept as days apart. The 14th 
of December, which date marked the death of the Prince Consort, 
and, ten years later, of Princess Alice of Hesse, was observed by 
the Queen as a day of especial mourning. Save at the Memorial 
Service held at the Albert Mausoleum at Frogmore, not even those 
members of the Royal Family who traveled to Windsor for that 
function were permitted to see the Queen. No business of any 
kind was transacted by Her Majesty on that day. She sat almost 
alone in her own apartments, and it was the one day in the year 
when, save for the short drive to Frogmore and back, she took no 
airing. The Court was expected to wear black on that day. 

THE QUEEN'S VISITORS IN HER PALACE LIFE 

After the period of her widowhood the Queen was accus- 
tomed to spend Christmas at Osborne. And, although of later 
years something of the old family gathering was revived, the 
Queen's Christmas was always overshadowed with the sad memo- 
ries called forth by the anniversaries, on the 14th of December, 
of the deaths of the Prince Consort and the Princess Alice. 

Among the Queen's visitors in her palace life were some who 
were not " commanded " and were not always welcome. In early life 
her Majesty was frequently annoyed by the visits, or attempted 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 343 

visits of lovers and lunatics — they are not always identical. One of 
the former, who seems to have been also one of the latter, was a 
gentleman from Tunbridge Wells. In order to catch some glimpses 
of the royal young lady whom he adored, he disguised himself as a 
gardener, and got work at Kensington Gardens. 

Years afterwards another gentleman, disguised as a workman, 
paid the Queen an uninvited visit — not to see herself, but to see 
the pictures in Buckingham Palace. This picture-lover had seen 
all the great paintings in London, but the collection in the palace 
was inaccessible to an ordinary connoisseur. He managed, how- 
ever, tc see them in this way : a friend of his, a carpet merchant, 
had orders to put down carpets in the State apartments. He 
dressed himself in character, and entered the palace as a workman 
with those who were really going to put down the carpets. He 
remained in one of the apartments after the workmen had left. 

While he was alone, the Queen came tripping in, wearing a 
plain white morning dress, and followed by two or three of her 
younger children, dressed with like simplicity. She approached 
the supposed workman and said, " Pray, can you tell me when the 
new carpet will be put down in the Privy Council chamber?" He, 
thinking that he had no right to recognize the Queen under the 
circumstances, replied : " Really, madam, I cannot tell, but I will 
inquire." " Stay," she said abruptly, but not unkindly ; " who are 
you ? I perceive that you are not one of the workmen." 

Mr. W., blushing and stammering, made a clean breast of it, 
and told the simple truth. The Queen seemed much amused with 
his ruse, and forgave it for the sake of his love of art. She added, 
smiling, " I knew that you were a gentleman, because you did not 
' Your'Majesty me.' Pray, look at the pictures as long as you like. 
Good morning. Come, chicks, we must go." 

For those whose duties made their presence necessary in the 
Queen's palace, life did not always move smoothly. As she grew 
older, Victoria grew irritable, and popular ideas as to basking in 
ihe sunshine of royalty were apt to be dispelled by the frowns 



344 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

which frequently clouded the countenance of " Her Most Gracious 
Majesty." Trifling circumstances would annoy her, and although 
under ordinary circumstances a woman of strong common sense, 
she became at times unreasonable, and even harsh. 

Some of the most loyal and deserving members of her house- 
hold were dismissed and turned away almost at a moment's notice, 
not for any misconduct, but merely because their appearance had 
ceased to please, and become tiresome to her capricious Majesty. 

There is one case, that of Lord Piayfair, who, notwithstanding 
his long and devoted services to the Prince Consort, was removed 
from his post of gentleman-in-waiting because the Queen had objec- 
tion to his legs, which, being short and deflected, did not appear to 
advantage in knee-breeches and silk stockings. Mr. Lyon Play- 
fair, as he was then, was afterwards consoled by a peerage, and by 
his marriage to a charming American girl, Miss Russel, of Boston. 

Although the Queen's irritability kept the members of her 
household in constant apprehension of royal displeasure and scold- 
ings of imperial vigor, yet she was constantly doing little acts of 
considerate and motherly kindness which endeared her alike to her 
immediate attendants and to her subjects. While naturally kind 
and considerate, the exercise of unlimited authority in her house- 
hold led to a sharpness and brusqueness of which she, no doubt, 
often repented. 

Although small in person, the Queen impressed every one 
with whom she was brought in contact with a sense of her dignity. 
This quality, although impressive, lends itself to caricature. On 
one occasion one of the grooms-in-waiting was engaged in " taking 
off " his royal mistress, much to the amused enjoyment of some 
members of the Court. His imitation of the Queen playing the 
piano and singing a song was irresistible. Just as he was finishing, 
the Queen entered the room, and at once recognized the fact that 
she was being caricatured. A dead silence prevailed. The guilty 
courtier turned pale and tried to stammer out some excuses. His 
tongue refused its office, and he waited to receive his sentence. 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 345 

The Queen, in a stern voice, commanded the Honorable at 

once to repeat the entertainment. This he did in fear and tremb- 
ling, but gradually warmed to his work, and the Queen laughed 
until the tears came into her eyes. Afterwards the courtier in 
question was often asked by her Majesty to repeat his imitation, 
and those who were privileged to see it declare that the likeness 
was lifelike. The Queen's amiability and absence of self-conscious- 
ness on this occasion were an indication of her true greatness. 

Life in the British palaces is a matter of etiquette and form- 
alism, and many court officials, mediaeval in origin, and marked 
only by showy inutility in modern days, still strut their little lives 
upon the stage of courtly duties, many of them having no better 
warrant for their existence than that of " filling up space.' 

Among the picturesque and ornamental features of Queen 
Victoria's Court were her two body-guards, the one composed of 
pensioned Colonels and Majors, with distinguished service records,, 
who were entitled the " Gentlemen-at-Arms," while the other was 
recruited from non-commissioned officers, and its members were 
known by the name of the "Yeomen of the Guard." The public, 
however, for some reason or other, have designated them as 
" Beefeaters." 

YEOMEN OF THE GUARD 

A yeoman usher and a party of yeomen compose the Guard 
that attends in the Great Chamber on levee days and drawing- 
room days, their office being to keep the passage clear, that the 
nobility who frequent the Court may pass without inconvenience. 
The usher is posted at the head of the room, close by the door 
leading into the Presence Chamber, to whom, when persons of a 
certain distinction enter from the stairs, the lowermost yeoman 
next to the entrance of the Chamber calls aloud, " Yeoman Usher ! " 
to apprise him of such approach. To this the Usher makes answer 
by audibly crying, " Stand by ! " to warn all indifferent persons to 
leave the passage clear, 



346 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

The Captain of the "Yeomen of the Guard," who is invariably 
a Peer of the Realm, and who changes with each administration, 
receives a salary of $5,000. He is ex-officio a member of the Privy 
Council, wears, like other officers of the corps, a military uniform, 
and carries an ebony baton tipped with gold as his badge of office. 

The Gentlemen-at-Arms, instituted by Henry VIII., were 
intended by him to be recruited from a higher class than the Yeo- 
men of the Guard, and to resemble the " Gentlemen of the French 
King's House," a body composed almost wholly of young grandees. 
All the captains have been noblemen of high rank, and the corps 
at present is composed of ex-commissioned officers of high distinc- 
tion. For a long time these two bodies were the only standing 
forces permitted in the kingdom. They figured in all ceremonials, 
received embassadors, and escorted foreign Princes on visits to the 
Sovereign. Nor were they without distinction in arms, for they 
were at the siege of Boulogne, the Battle of Spurs, and on other 
battle-fields of France. 

OFFICE OF "QUEEN'S CHAMPIONS" 

When the Queen came to the Throne only three of the Guard 
were old soldiers, though all of them bore the courtesy title of 
" Captain," and in precedence ranked immediately after Privy Coun- 
cilors The corps now contains over forty members, every one of 
whom has served with more or less distinction, and perhaps at no 
period in its history has the ancient Guard reached a higher social 
standard. 

One of the most peculiar offices in connection with the Royal 
household is that of the " Queen's (King's) Champion,"a very ancient 
office, popularly supposed to have been instituted by William the 
Conqueror, and since the coronation held by descendants of Sir 
John Dymoke. 

The " Champion of England," for that is his official title, only 
appears once during the reign of a British Monarch — namely, at 
the coronation. While the coronation banquet is in progress, which 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 347 

has hitherto always taken place in Westminster Hall, the Champion 
enters on horseback, arrayed from head to foot in steel armor, and 

with closed visor. . . , 

Raising his visor, he challenges all comers to deny the title of 
the sovereign, and offers, if necessary, to fight them on the spot. 
It I needless to add that no one is ever found to take up the 
.auntlet which he casts down on the floor. A golden goblet full of 
wine is then handed to him, which he drains to the health of the 
monarch, after which he backs his charger from the Royal presence, 
Tarrying with him the magnificently chased golden goblet as his 

perqmsite. ^^ ^ exceedingly imposing and superb per- 

sonages, though they have become less exalted than formerly. Early 
n the Queen's reign the salary of the royal footman was $55° a 
year wkh a possible rise to the rank of a senior footman with $600 
a vear This was not a very high salary, but the dignity of the 
service and the fact that it was always followed by a pension and 
sometimes led to higher rank, rendered it attractive to sta wart 
numbers of the respectable middle class on the lookout for a 
career Moreover, there were perquisites-bread and beer money, 
for instance-amounting to $70 a year, while a footman sent on a 
journey, however short, received six shillings a day for refresh- 

men All that, however, was in the good days before the shadow of 
reform fell upon the Queen's establishment, when Prince Albert 
was in the prime of his vigor. In later days even so gorgeous a 
eentleman as the Queen's footman had to begin with a modest $25° 
a year, which in course of time might increase to $400, but no 
more Perquisites, too, were abolished or curtailed. There was 
an allowance of six guineas and a half for hair-powder, bag and 
stockings; but, sad to say, each man had to find h.s own blacking 
and boot-brushes, and to pay for his own washing. 

The Oueen had fifteen footmen, and one sergeant-footman 
with a salary of $650 a year. Formerly the sergeant-footman or 



348 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

one of the six senior footmen was often promoted to the position 
of Page of the Presence or of a Queen's Messenger, either of 
which was worth $1,500, or $2,000 a year. But this practice went 
the way of most of the perquisites, and the position of a royal 
footman ceased to be sought for as it formerly was. 

Next to the royal footmen, the State trumpeters are among 
the most popular of functionaries on all great occasions. There 
are eight of them, with a sergeant at their head. They form part 
of the State band, which is only called upon on important occas- 
sions. As in the case of the footmen, their gorgeous raiment, their 
silver trumpets, and their stately demeanor might suggest to the 
uninitiated dignitaries of large emoluments, if not of exalted rank, 
but their sergeant gets only $500 a year, and each of the eight 
minor musicians $200. There are, however, in addition, fees paid 
to them on each occasion of their performing in public. 

From footmen and trumpeters to pursuivants, heralds, and 
kings-at-arms is a great stride up the social and ceremonial ladder. 
These functionaries have both a popular and historical interest. 
Their quaintly gorgeous costumes always attract attention on State 
occasions, and their undoubted antiquity and mysterious functions 
— their declarations of war and of peace, announcements at coro- 
nations, and solemn annunciations of titles and dignities over illus- 
trious graves — all tend to invest them with a curious interest in the 
eyes of beholders. 

OFFICE OF HERALDS 

The heralds must be gentlemen " skilled in the ancient and 
modern languages, good historians, and conversant in the genealo- 
gies of the nobility and gentry." The direct emoluments of the 
office are trivial. But it is their function " to grant coats armorial 
and supporters to the same to such as are properly authorized to 
bear them ; where no armorial arms are known to belong to the 
party applying for the grant they invent devices and emblazon 
them in the most applicable manner, so as to reflect credit upon their 
own fertility of knowledge, and to afford satisfaction to the wearer." 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 349 

They are, of course, entitled to more liberal fees than fall to 
the lot of most inventors, and, moreover, they are the great sources 
of genealogical lore. Pursuivants, heralds, and kings-at-arms are 
under the Earl Marshal of England, the Duke of Norfolk, and, 
indeed, are now created by him. Formerly when kings-at-arms 
were more important functionaries than they are now, they were 
crowned veritable kings by the sovereign himself. They go through 
the same ceremony of installation now, but it is performed by the 
Earl Marshal, by royal warrant. Upon this occasion the chosen 
functionary takes his oath, wine is poured out of a gilt cup with a 
cover, his title is pronounced, and he is invested with a tabret of 
the royal arms richly embroidered upon velvet, a collar of SS, 
with two portcullises of silver gilt, a gold chain, and a badge of his 
office. Then the Earl Marshal places on his head the crown of a 
king-of-arms. This formerly resembled a ducal coronet ; but since 
the Restoration it has been adorned with leaves resembling those 
of the oak, and circumscribed with the words, "Miserere mei Deus 
secundum magnam misericordiam tuam." (God have mercy upon 
me according to your great goodness.) 

Garter has also a mantle of crimson satin as an officer of the 
order, and a white rod or sceptre with the sovereign's arms upon 
the top, which he bears in the presence of the sovereign. There 
are three kings-at-arms. Garter is king-at-arms of England, Clar- 
encieux is king of the province south of the Trent, and Norroy is 
king of the northern provinces. The heralds go through an initia- 
tory ceremony as the kings, except the crowning. They are all 
military and civil officers, and in token of this they are all sworn 
on sword and Bible. 

The office of Earl Marshal is among the highest and oldest. 
He is the eighth great officer of State, and is the only Earl who is 
an Earl by virtue of his office. 

The Lord Steward is another holder of a slip from the sceptre. 
He has a white wand as an emblem of his authority under the 
Crown. He is supposed to have the sole direction of the sovereign's 



350 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

household, and receives $i 0,000 a year, though, except on State 
occasions, he is not required at Court, the practical functions of his 
office being discharged by the resident master of the household. 
The Queen's establishments, however, excepting only the chamber, 
stables, and chapel, are supposed to be under his entire control. 
All his commands are to be obeyed, and he has power to hold 
Courts for the administration of justice, and for settling disputes 
between the Queen's servants. The Lord Steward always bears 
his white wand when in the presence of the sovereign, and on 
all ceremonial occasions when the sovereign is not present the 
wand is borne before him by a footman walking bareheaded. He 
takes this symbol of delegated power directly from the sovereign's 
hand, and has no other formal grant of office. On the death of 
the monarch the Lord Steward breaks his xvand of office over the 
corpse, and his functions are at an end, and all the officers of the 
royal household are virtually discharged. 

THE PRINCIPAL THRONE OF THE BRITISH MONARCHY 

All this display of "leather and prunella" is a relic of medie- 
valism which has been retained by English conservatism. In 
earlier times it was thought to add to the splendor of the throne 
and the dignity of the monarch ; now it is, some think, worthy only 
of ridicule, for the world has advanced beyond the range of such 
eye-catching trappings. But let our good brothers and cousins of 
England, who have an undying admiration for ancient customs, 
cling to it still if the gorgeousness of the royal footmen adds any- 
thing to their pleasure or reverence. 

Speaking of the royal seat, it may be said that the principal 
throne of the British monarchy is in the House of Lords. It is 
elevated on a dais, the central portion having three, and the sides 
two steps, covered with a carpet of the richest velvet pile. The 
ground color of the carpet is a bright scarlet, and the pattern on it 
consists of roses and lions, alternately. A gold-colored fringe 
borders the carpet. 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 351 

The canopy to the throne is divided into three apartments, of 
which the central one, much loftier than the others, was occupied 
by her Majesty, that on the right hand by the Prince of Wales, 
and that on the left formerly by Prince Albert. The back of. the cen- 
tral compartment is paneled in the most exquisite manner. The 
three lowest tiers have the lions passant of England, carved and 
gilded on a red ground, and above them in a wide panel, arched, 
and enriched with dainty carvings, are the royal arms of England, 
surrounded by the Garter, with its supporters, helmet and crest, and 
an elaborate mantling forming a rich and varied background. The 
motto, "Dieu et Mon Droit" is on a horizontal band of deep-blue 
tint. In small panels, traceried, parallel with the large arched one, 
are roses, shamrocks, and thistles, clustered together, and crowned ; 
and above them, in double-arched panels, the royal monogram, 
crowned and interwoven by a cord, is introduced. 

The Crown Jewels of Great Britain are kept at the Tower of 
London, and are entrusted to the care of the " Keeper of the 
Regalia." They are all in the Jewel-house, inclosed in an immense 
case. Prominent among them is the crown made for the coronation 
of Queen Victoria, at an expense of about $600,000. Among the 
profusion of diamonds is the large ruby worn by the Black Prince , 
the crown made for the coronation of Charles II. ; the crown of the 
Prince of Wales and that of the late Prince Consort ; the crown 
made for the coronation of James II. 's Queen; also her ivory 
sceptre. The coronation spoon, and bracelets and royal spurs, 
swords of Mercy and Justice, are among the other jewels. Here, 
too, is the silver-gilt baptismal font, in which is deposited the 
christening water for the royal children, and the celebrated Koh-i- 
noor diamond. 

For the benefit of those who are interested in the private and 
public fortune of the Queen, it may be said, although we have stated 
this in another chapter in a more general way, that Parliament 
granted her $1,925,000 a year, but that included the running expenses 
of all her palaces, the salaries and pensions of her large retinue of 



352 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

attendants and servants of high and low degree. Out of it she was 
estimated, after paying all these expenses, to have $300,000 a year 
left for her own personal purse. None of this was used for her 
public gifts to charity, which Parliament provided for in its grant. 

THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC FORTUNE OF THE QUEEN 

In exchange for the royal revenues from the Duchy of Lan- 
caster, which was extinguished long ago, Victoria received $215,000 
a year more. So that for nearly sixty-four years her private income 
from the British Treasury alone was $515,000 a year. As she never 
was a woman of lavish expenditure, it is a reasonable belief that 
she saved largely from this annual income. As regards her private 
property, it may be said that the vast domains which of old 
belonged to the Crown were surrendered to the State during the 
reign of George IV. Prince Albert left her the greater part of his 
estate of $3,000,000, and John Camden Nield, the miserly son of a 
goldsmith who had worked for George III., left by will to the 
Queen and her heirs an estate of about $2,500,000. The gifts 
made to her during the Jubilee were worth about $250,000. The 
Osborne and Balmoral estates were her private property, her Scot- 
tish estate containing over 37,000 acres. She also owned Clare- 
mont, a landed estate in Coburg, and a magnificent villa in Berlin. 
Various estimates have been made as to the value of her property, 
based on her probable savings and the increase in value of her 
inheritances and estates, but its real value cannot be stated. In it 
must be included her valuable collection of laces and jewels, worth 
a large sum of money. 

Around Windsor Castle more than any other of her homes her 
Majesty's life, from the time of her accession, was centred. This 
was her home par excellence. Buckingham, though no whit less 
gorgeous Within, is a pigmy in size compared with the colossal pile 
of Windsor, which dominates the surrounding landscape — the rich 
groves, the houses of the town, the meadows, and the tranquil 
Thames — much as would a solitary mountain peak. 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 353 

Founded by William the Conqueror, the huge structure has 
grown under the hands of many kings. George I V. spent $5,000,000 




DRAWING-ROOM AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE 



on it. Buckingham and Windsor belong to the English sover- 
eigns, and therefore to the nation, and are thus in a different 
category from the Queen's private residences of Osborne and 



354 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

Balmoral, in which she spent such intervals as she could withdraw 
from the cares of State. 

The Queen devoted ^10,000, or $50,000, every year to enter- 
tainments at Buckingham Palace. These consisted of two State 
balls and two State concerts, at each of which her Majesty was 
represented by the Prince and Princess of Wales. She limited the 
expense of the State balls to $10,000 each, while that of the State 
concerts was fixed at $15,000. Under no circumstances were these 
figures permitted to be exceeded. Court trains were not worn by 
the ladies at these entertainments, while the men, unless they 
belonged to the army or the navy, were forced to don white knee- 
breeches and white silk stockings, which are very trying to the 
appearance. 

RECEPTIONS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE 

The second category of the Queen's guests were those who 
attended her periodical afternoon receptions at Buckingham Palace, 
known by the name of " Drawing-rooms," and held for the express 
purpose of permitting debutantes to be presented to the royal 
family. 

The ventilation of the Palace is very defective, and the crush 
is intolerable. Everybody wants to get ahead of everybody else, 
in order to get through the presentation and back to her carriage, 
for a Court presentation practically involves leaving one's house at 
noon, alighting at the Palace an hour later, after interminable waits, 
and standing amid an elbowing, pushing, somewhat selfish throng 
of women, in an atmosphere laden with strong perfumes, which are 
a combination of artificial scents, natural flowers, and cosmetics, 
until about four or five o'clock, when one finally re-enters the 
carriage, crumpled, dispirited, faint from hunger and fatigue, and 
thoroughly disappointed. 

All this is undergone for the sake of spending about sixty 
seconds in the throne-room, just the time required to walk from 
the door up to the spot where stands the Queen, or, as is more 
generally the case, one of the Princesses representing her, to whom 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMFNTS 355 

a low courtesy is made. The royal lady utters no word of welcome 
or greeting, but merely acknowledges the salute by a slight inclina- 
tion of the head, and then the presentee has to back out of the 
room with all possible speed. 

Buckingham Palace is far from showy on the outside, and were 
it not for the red-coated sentinels who unceasingly march up and 
down before the gates thereof, it would hardly give one the 
impression of being a royal residence. The front of the building 
gives no idea of the pleasant rooms situated at the back, and which 
overlook a large and beautiful garden, into which one steps through 
the French windows opening on to a green lawn, shaded all around 
by fine and well-grown trees, giving no indication in their luxuriant 
foliage of being in the midst of London. 

This verdant carpet leads to a crystal lake further on, where in 
quiet enjoyment broods of water-fowl and several swans live in 
contentment. 

The galleries, ball-room, and concert-room, which are reached 
from the staircase, are of great magnificence. Wall seats, draped 
in satin, are provided for the company assembling in these rooms 
for a ball, a concert, or any other royal function, and at one end 
many handsome chairs are placed for the accommodation of royalty, 
with the throne-room further on, where the Queen received her 
guests in state ; and where many debutantes with palpitating hearts, 
as well as more familiar habitues, have made their courtesies. 

To encourage trade, the Court gave great entertainments, but 
they excited discontent instead of gratitude. The most splendid of 
these entertainments was the Plantagenet Ball. It was a wonder- 
fully perfect reproduction of the Court of Edward III., Prince 
Albert representing that monarch, the Queen, Philippa, his wife. 
Many of the guests appeared in the very armor of their forefathers, 
others in costumes copied from family pictures. One lady gave a 
thousand pounds for her dress alone, and there was even a man 
(Lord Chesterfield) whose costume cost eight hundred pounds. 
The Queen's dress of brocade in blue and gold, lined with miniver, 



356 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

was made in Spitalfields. One diamond in her crown, valued at 
ten thousand pounds, was so large that it shone like a star. Lady 
Londonderry's very gloves and shoes were resplendent with 
brilliants. The tent of Tippoo Sahib was used as a refreshment- 
room, and supper was served in the dining-room. The tables were 
covered with shields, vases, and tankards of massive gold. As 
many as eighteen thousand persons, it is said, were employed in the 
preparations for this superb fete. We may mention here that there 
was a " Powder Ball " at Buckingham Palace three years afterwards. 
All the guests were dressed in the style of 1750, when hair-powder 
was the fashion. There was also a " Restoration Ball," when the 
time of Charles II. was reproduced. 

THE QUEEN'S HOME LIFE 

The Queen's home life will be of interest to many readers, 
and some mention of it may suitably be made. Her private 
sitting-room might well have belonged to any one of her 
wealthier subjects who possessed a simple taste in furniture and 
decorations, a large collection of pictures and sketches, and a full 
circle of relations and friends. The general scheme of color was 
crimson and cream and gold. Heavy damask draperies framed the 
windows, the lower panes of which were veiled with short curtains 
of snowy muslin. The blinds were of a dainty material called 
diaphane, in which was woven in a transparent pattern the insignia 
and motto of the Garter. The furniture was principally upholstered 
in the same flowered crimson and gold damask that draped the 
windows. The walls were panelled in the same silk, and here the. 
constant recurrence of the pattern (a conventional bouquet of 
flowers) would become monotonous were it not for the number of 
pictures of every description which covered the walls from within 
a short distance of the ceiling of deep crimson and gold to within 
four feet of the rich crimson carpet, which is patterned with a deli- 
cate tracery of scrolls and garlands in pale yellow. The many 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 359 

doors were painted cream color and decorated with floral panels 
and gold mouldings. 

The mantelpieces and occasional tables in the Queen's dressing- 
room were as charmingly arranged and Deflowered as those in the 
sitting-room. Here the green silk walls and hangings made a per- 
fect background for the toilet accessories that covered the dressing- 
table. These were all of gold, worked and chased into most deli- 
cate designs. The mirror was set in a square-cornered frame that 
rose at the top into an oval. Before it lay a large gold tray, flanked 
by four scent-bottles of carved crystal. Two of these were set in 
gold filigree stands of a shallow boat shape. The pincushion 
was dark-blue velvet fitted within a gold-pierced edge. Of gold 
boxes there were about a dozen, of every size and shape, ranging 
from the large square handkerchief-box to the small, nutlike patch- 
box. A pair of candlesticks, two large oval hair-brushes without 
handles, and a handbell completed the equipage. From the dress- 
ing-room floor rose some feet high the magnificently elaborate gold 
stand which supported a lamp and "dressing-kettle" of the same 
precious metal. 

THE QUEEN'S DRESSING-ROOM 

The solid gold hand basin on the bottom of which were 
engraved the royal arms, has a romantic story attached to it. It 
was made especially for the Queen's use at her coronation, but after 
that event, " as strange things will, it vanished," and every effort to 
discover it completely failed. After twenty-seven years, however, 
when some structural alterations were being executed in St. James' 
Palace, a workman found, bricked in a hollow wall, the long-lost 
gold hand basin. After that time the Queen always made a point 
of using it. As her Majesty did not possess a golden ewer, a china 
one that matched the rest of the washstand fittings was used. For 
some reason she persistently refused to have a golden ewer made. 

The Queen's bed was large and of wood, as are all of the beds 
at Windsor, the hangings being of fine crimson damask. It is 
most pathetic to note that above the right side of the bed there 



360 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

hangs against the rich silken background a portrait of the late 
Prince Consort, surmounted by a wreath of immortelles. The same 
sad memorials are in every bedroom that the Queen ever occupied. 
The view from the windows of the Queen's bed and dressing- 
rooms is absolutely perfect, embracing as it does the incomparable 
East Terrace, with the tennis courts beyond, and in the distance 
Frogmore and the Great Park. 

HER FAVORITE BOOKS 

The Queen was always an omnivorous reader. No class of 
literature was neglected by her. As a child she devoured every- 
thing that told of the making of English history. The amount of 
reading got through by her each day was enormous. Her vast 
private correspondence, parliamentary reports from her Ministers 
and despatches from every Government office were all read to her 
Majesty by her private secretary, maid-of-honor and lady-in-wait- 
ing. This in the way of business. Books read for instruction or 
amusement had to defer to it. 

The Queen was never tired of reading Shakespeare, Scott 
and Dickens. In late years she showed keen interest in Kipling, 
and caused word to be conveyed to the young author that he had 
revealed to her a great many things about certain portions of her 
great empire that she never dreamed of before. With all her fond- 
ness for historical fiction she took great interest in the new school 
of historical novels. She read very little of the lighter literature 
in the magazines except what was sent to her marked from her 
secretary's office. Victor Hugo and Balsac were her favorite French 
authors, and Schiller her favorite German poet. Heine she detested. 
Besides her ladies-in-waiting, who called upon her in turn to read 
to her, two women were specially retained to read books published 
only in French and German. 

The Queen was not only a reader, but an author, and her 
" Leaves from her Journals " contain graphic and interesting details 
of her life in the Highlands, which give them a value additional to 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 361 

that attaching to them as the work of a royal hand. Many of her 
descriptions of Scottish scenery and of incidents at Balmoral and 
elsewhere form very enjoyable reading. 

A MODEL HOUSEKEEPER 

It was long the Queen's boast that she was a model house- 
keeper. She had a remarkable memory for details even in the 
smallest matters and was never willing to relinquish her prerogative 
with regard to the management of her servants. Every single 
article of linen, carpets, bedding, curtains, and so forth, was num- 
bered and catalogued. Gold and silver plate was kept with the 
most scrupulous care, and the Queen was familiar with every detail 
of it. Her gold pantry, with millions of dollars worth of gold 
plate is said to have been a thing of beauty. The slightest untidi- 
ness in the storerooms was reported personally to the Queen. She 
would not tolerate a dowdy-looking servant. Here are twelve rules 
hung in the servants' hall at Windsor : 

Profane no divine ordinances. 

Touch no State matters.. 

Urge no healths. 

Pick no quarrels. 

Maintain no ill opinions. 

Encourage no vice. 

Repeat no grievances. 

Reveal no secrets. 

Make no comparisons 

Keep no bad company. 

Make no long meals. 

Lay no wagers. i 

Another of the Queen's most strongly-marked fads was a 
mania for never destroying anything. This extended not only to 
her private papers and letters, but even to wearing apparel of the 
most ordinary kind. She expected her wardrobe women to pro- 
duce at short notice the gown or bonnet she had worn on any 



362 PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 

particular occasion. The Queen's collection of clothes would form 
a most interesting commentary on the fashions of the past sixty 
years. 

She was always an enthusiastic and intrepid walker and rider, 
and attributed her longevity mainly to her capacity for taking 
unlimited out-door exercise. In London, of course, she could 
never go out afoot, but in her country places half her time was 
spent out of doors until her later years. She used to accompany 
Prince Albert in his deer-stalking expeditions in the Highlands 
even in the most inclement weather. The keepers always liked 
her to accompany on a shooting expedition "just for luck." While 
very healthy, she was not very strong, and her growing size and 
weight in her later years interfered greatly with her out-door 
exercise. 

In her early married life she rode horseback a great deal, and 
in Scotland, for many years, she almost lived on pony back. Her 
stables at Buckingham Palace and at Windsor always were a 
source of great pride, and it gave her pleasure to give persons who 
were really fond of horses permission to visit them. All the horses 
in the Queen's stables were given special training before any of the 
royal family were permitted to use them. They were taught to 
bear with equanimity the beat of drums and the shrieks of fifes and 
bagpipes. 

The Queen had a genuine love for almost all animals. Her 
kennels were models of what healthy and cleanly houses for dogs 
should be. She liked to breed dogs to give away as presents. The 
collie was her favorite, and she owned several fine specimens of this 
breed. For many years her cattle farms at Windsor produced 
some of the finest prize stock in the world, and she took the live- 
liest interest in the magnificent animals bred by her keepers. 

If it is desirable to end a chapter with an anecdote, the follow- 
ing story may be relished : In the days when the Queen's children 
were young, Christmas was a great day in the royal household. In 
particular everybody had a hand in making the monster pudding 



PALACE LIFE AND ROYAL ENTERTAINMENTS 363 

that was subsequently to grace the Christmas table, and great fun 
was invariably extracted out of the proceedings. But never did 
the mirth rise to such a pitch as on one memorable occasion when 
the Princess Beatrice, then the tiniest of toddlers, in reaching down 
into the recesses of the pan after a piece of candied peel, over- 
balanced her chubby little self, and tipped headforemost into the 
yielding mixture. 

She was rescued in a moment, but not before her fair, curly 
pate and face were a sticky mass of currants, raisins, peel, and 
spice. Perhaps the royal family never enjoyed a heartier laugh 
together, and certainly Princess Beatrice never screamed so loudly ! 

Shall we mate this story with another relating to the Princess 
Victoria, after she became Crown Princess of Germany, as illustra- 
tive of the way in which the Queen brought up her children ? The 
free and easy ways of the young Princess were not in accord with 
German notions of Court etiquette. One day, on the Princess 
catching up a chair and carrying it across the room, a very proper 
and courtly lady, the Countess Perponchez, was so shocked that 
she could not refrain from uttering a remonstrance. 

"It is beneath the dignity of a Prussian princess to carry 
chairs ! " she Said. 

" But let me inform you, my dear countess," answered our 
Princess Royal, smiling, " that my mother being, as you know, 
Queen of England " 

" I am aware of the fact," said the Prussian lady. 

" Then, allow me, my dear countess, to make you aware of 
another fact. Her Majesty, the Queen of Great Britain, very often 
carried a chair. Indeed, incredible as the thing may seem, I have 
myself actually seen her Majesty, the Queen, carry not one only, 
but two chairs ! They were for her children ; and I think that 
which never lowered my mother's queenly dignity cannot hurt that 
of her daughter." 



CHAPTER XXI 

The Diamond Jubilee 

WE have already told the story of Victoria's Jubilee, held in; 
honor of the fiftieth year of her reign. This honor she # 
shared with three preceding monarchs. She lived to 
celebrate another year of jubilee, held on the completion of the 
sixtieth year of her reign, and in which honor she stood alone, 
no preceding Sovereign of England reigning through so long a 
period. George III., who came nearest, died a few months 
before the completion of this period, a wreck of a man, blind and 
hopelessly insane. Victoria alone lived to see the celebration of her 
" Diamond Jubilee," still strong and well, and capable of fulfilling 
all the duties of her exalted position. 

UNPARALLELED GLORY AND PROSPERITY 

While Victoria's reign was unique as regarded its length, the 
estimable character and noble example of the Sovereign herself, the 
steady and varied advancement which signalized her era, and the 
vast extension of her empire, combined to render her Diamond 
Jubilee an event without a parallel in the history of the nation. 
Archdeacon Sinclair well said concerning it : 

"The people of England desire, in the most emphatic manner 
possible, to express their gratitude to God for the unparalleled glory 
and prosperity of the sixty splendid years of the Queen's long reign, 
and to her Majesty for her admirable and luminous example during 
that protracted period, and in that exalted station as Sovereign, 
wife, and mother." 

To this we may add the words of the Hon. Joseph Chamber- 
lain, now so well known as England's Secretary of State for the 
Colonies : — 
364 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 365 

"The completion of the sixtieth year of the reign of the 
Queen marks an absolutely unparalleled chapter in the history of our 
country. No Monarch in England has reigned so long, no Mon- 
arch has reigned so well and so wisely, none have enjoyed so con- 
tinuously and so increasingly the love and the respect of their sub- 
jects ; in no previous reign has there been such progress, especially 
in all that conduces to the prosperity and the happiness of the 
masses of the population ; in no period of like extent has there 
ever been so great an extension of this Empire of ours. 

THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 

"Our great dependency of India has testified in the past, and 
again will testify the loyalty of its population to the Empress who 
has always shown such a marked interest in their welfare and hap- 
piness. But those things have happened before. What has not 
happened before, what has never happened in the history of this 
century, has been to secure a personal representation of the Em- 
pire as a whole, of the Empire with its more than eleven millions 
of square miles of territory, and with its three hundred and fifty 
millions of people, with their different religions, their different 
constitutions, their separate manners and customs, all united solely 
by the bond of allegiance to the Queen of these realms. 

"A proposal has been made and is being carried out to secure 
such a demonstration, and an invitation has been addressed to the 
Prime Ministers of all the self-governing Colonies of the Empire 
to come to England and to take part in this unique ceremonial. 
These gentlemen will come here as the guests of the Queen. And 
who are they? They are the rulers of Kingdoms almost all 
of which are larger than the United Kingdom itself, and all of 
them inhabited by considerable populations that are destined to 
become, at no distant date, great nations, animated, as I hope and 
believe, by affection and regard for the great mother land that 
has given them birth." 



366 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

" We shall have at the same time a representation of the great 
Crown Colonies, with their infinite variety of climate and of produc- 
tion, and in this way we will secure a demonstration that no other 
country can make, a demonstration of power, of influence, and of 
beneficient work which will be a fitting tribute to the best and the 
most revered of English sovereigns." 

It was thought that the semi-centennial of her accession would 
be the crowning demonstration of Victoria's reign ; but when her 
sovereignty was continued ten years longer, it was determined 
to celebrate the completion of that term with ceremonies even 
grander and more elaborate. The Diamond Jubilee was, perhaps, 
the most conspicuous demonstration in the whole of the nineteenth 
century. 

The observance lasted a month. It began on June 18, 1897, 
at Windsor. Two days later a special thanksgiving service was 
held in all churches and chapels in England and Wales for the 
Queen's long reign. At noon on the following day her Majesty 
left Windsor Castle and traveled to London in a special carriage, 
so superbly appointed and decorated as to be itself one of the many 
sights of that gala time. The station at Paddington was richly and 
beautifully adorned for her reception, and from there to Bucking- 
ham Palace the Queen drove through long-extended lanes of cheer- 
ing crowds, triumphal arches, and waving bunting. At four o'clock 
she received the representatives of the Empire and the envoys of 
foreign States in the Throne Room of the Palace, conferring on the 
colonies the unprecedented honor of calling their chiefs to her 
Imperial Privy Council. 

The next day was the greatest of all the days of her reign. It 
focused at one time and in a single spot the gathered glory of six 
noble decades. All that was meant by England and Great Britain, 
all that the Victorian era signified, was concentrated in that 2 2d of 
June, Queen Victoria's Day. 

It began early. The last stroke of twelve had not died away 
in the midnight air when from a hundred metropolitan steeples a 




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THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 369 

tumultuous peal of bells announced Diamond Jubilee Day. The 
vast crowd that filled the miles of streets and squares answered with 
ringing cheers and here and there the singing of "God Save the 
Queen!" 

The crowds that peopled the streets and squares all night in the 
hope of a good view of the procession the next day were amazing in 
their patience. Waiting for twelve, fourteen, and sixteen hours, as 
many of these people did, was a feat of endurance that couid only 
be sustained by some overmastering desire. Fully half of these 
jubilee waiters were women, many with the pale, careworn look of 
the London worker, yet all enduring the tedious waiting with utmost 
good nature. Some had camp-stools, some sat on projections of 
buildings or curbstones, or leaned in doorways and the angles made 
by stands. During the long hours snatches of song and occasional 
bursts of cheering showed that the people were determined to enjoy 
the festival of patriotism and loyalty to the utmost. 

A clear starlit sky and cool air kept up the spirits of the crowd 
throughout the vigil. With dawn the hope of Queen's weather 
merged into certainty, and the world there prepared in confidence 
for a day of pleasure. 

The earliest active indication of the great event — apart from the 
people awaiting it — was the arrival of vestry carts to gravel freshly 
the roadways, after the fashion which prevailed in the good old days 
of Sam Pepys. A little later the police began to arrive in great 
numbers, 8000 being distributed along the line of route. The 
streets on the north side of the Thames were closed to ordinary 
vehicles at 7.30, and on the south side at 8 o'clock ; London 
Bridge had been closed to all traffic at midnight, and Westminster 
Bridge and other bridges between at 5 o'clock that morning, when 
all persons were removed from them. 

The first great difficulty of the police was assisting owners of 
seats on stands and houses to get to them, they being permitted to 
drive to them up to 10 o'clock, for there was a vast interval between 
a title to a seat and actual possession. 



37© THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

The crowds on the sidewalks were willing to give passage to 
the favored mortals who owned seats, but to do so was difficult. 
The difficulty was further increased by the arrival of the troops, 
taking their appointed places. The wise, however, had early taken 
their seats in stands or obtained access to the houses where they 
had bought windows. It was only the late-comers who had to push 
and struggle — in the case of ladies much to the damage of their toil- 
ettes. Finally many of the late-comers were peremptorily shut out, 
and everybody settled down to wait. 

MR. HOPKINS DESCRIBES THE SCENE 

Mr. Hopkins, the distinguished Canadian author, gives a picture 
of the scene : 

"With the dawn of light on the 2 2d of June everything was in 
readiness for the greatest celebration and function the world has 
seen. The decorations were completed, and the Jubilee colors of 
red, white, and blue were to be seen in every direction, and in every 
form of varied beauty or ugliness. Costly flowers and tinsel imita- 
tions, fir and evergreen and laurel, pennons, shields, and standards, 
Venetian masts and wreaths and festoons, colored globes and bal- 
loons, garlands and myriad flags, everywhere presented a brilliant 
wall of color, behind and above, and around a vast sea of faces 
along the six miles which the procession was to take. Without any 
serious accident, without disorder or apparent difficulty, the millions 
of spectators were placed in line or seat to await the commencement 
of the day's proceedings. At St. Paul's Cathedral the stands and 
seats prepared for them soon held the great and representative per- 
sonages of British life and modern achievement. The brilliant 
robes of the peers, the beautiful dresses of the peeresses and a 
myriad other ladies, the lawn sleeves and somber gowns of the 
bishops of the church, the diplomatic uniforms of varied color and 
degrees of brilliance, the splendid robes of the Catholic clergy, the 
quieter dresses of the commoners and dissenting ministers, the 
scarlet uniforms of the officers, the jeweled and superb costumes 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 37 i 

of Indian princes, and the stately gold-laced garb of the privy 
councilors mixed and merged into one blaze of gorgeous color. 

"Above this display of individual splendor towered the Corin- 
thian columns and turrets of the great cathedral. In front, and 
down through Ludgate Hill, winding along Fleet Street and the 
ever-crowded Strand, stretched a long and longer avenue, lined with 
column after column of the best troops of England — a thin red line 
now prepared to meet and honor its sovereign, as it ever is to 
defend the interests and integrity of the empire. Through this line 
of scarlet from Victoria Embankment and Pall Mall" was to come 
the great procession. London was the scene that day of a pageant 
of imposing dimensions. Gathered in the city was the largest 
aggregation of human beings ever assembled in one place. 

The Queen breakfasted at 9 o'clock, and informed her physician 
that she was not fatigued by the ceremonies of the preceding day. 

Already at that hour, in the great quadrangle of the palace, 
there were many signs of the coming ceremonial. Gorgeously 
attired servants gathered near the scarlet-carpeted staircase, which 
was lined by rare flowers, while the strains of the national anthem, 
as a band passed the palace, announced that the Colonials had 
started. 

DIGNITARIES IN ATTENDANCE 

At the same time the special envoys who were to take part in 
the procession began arriving in the quadrangle. Whitelaw Reid, 
the United States special envoy, was the first to appear. He drove 
in, accompanied by one of the royal equeries, all in gold, scarlet, 
and feathers. Mr. Reid was quietly attired, wearing an Inverness 
coat, an opera hat, and a white tie. He drove up to the great door 
of the palace, where he was escorted to the waiting-room by the 
master of the ceremonies. Later General Nelson A. Miles, repre- 
senting the United States army, rode up on a splendid horse and in 
full uniform. 

The minor royalties next dropped in, followed by richly capar- 
isoned steeds, intended for the use of the princes. The arrival of 



372 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

the princes who were to take part in the escort formed a splendid 
picture, full of color. The quaint-looking Crown Prince Danilo of 
Montenegro, with black, glossy hair, under a dull crimson cap and 
wearing- a crimson jacket heavily embroidered with gold, and with 
full, short, pale-blue skirts, was greeted by the German princes, who 
were in fine military uniforms. 

The Grand Duke Sergius of Russia, a man of the heavy 
Romanoff type, was eclipsed in appearance by the gorgeous 
Austrians and Hungarians in scarlet and gold, with white hussar 
jackets, lined with pale blue and fastened to their left shoulders, 
their striking attire being completed by high fur caps and stiff 
plumes. The brother of the Khedive of Egypt, Mohammed Ali 
Khan, was mounted on a pure white Arabian charger which was 
greatly admired. 

The Duke of Cambridge, carrying his field-marshal's baton and 
wearing the ribbon of the Garter across his portly person, next 
arrived, and after him came the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of 
Lothian, and a score of white wand chamberlains attired in the 
darkest of blue, smothered with gold. They mingled with the crowd 
and later passed up the staircase. Eleven royal landaus then 
arrived and were mustered in the center of the quadrangle. Each 
carriage was a show in itself, forming, with its brilliant assembly of 
escorting horsemen and footmen, a most gorgeous display. 

A preliminary gleam of the sun pierced through the clouds at 
this hour, touching everything with bright light and making the 
scene a grand feast of color. 

By 10.20 the envoys' carriages were filled, and took up their 
position in the center of the quadrangle. Soon afterwards the 
Queen's superb coach arrived. It had hardly come to a standstill 
when the landaus, with the ladies and lords in waiting and the 
princesses, were in their alloted positions. All the ladies wore light 
toilettes of blue, green, lilac, and pink. 

The envoys' landaus started, after which the princes mounted 
their horses and ranged themselves in groups of threes. 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 373 

The carnage of the ex-Empress Frederick of Germany, who 
was dressed in lilac and carried a white sunshade, waited until after 
the others had gone, while the Duke of Cambridge chatted with her 
Highness. In the mean while a platoon of the royal servants lined 
up on each side of the great door, and an inclining platform from 
the foot of the stairs to the place to be occupied by the Queen's 
coach was placed in position and carefully tested by a Scotch gillie. 

ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES 

A hoarse roar of cheers, quickly followed by the royal anthem, 
played by the band outside of Buckingham Palace, announced the 
arrival of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Prince wore the 
uniform of a field-marshal. The Princess was dressed in pale lilac, 
and wore a lilac bonnet with white feathers. The Prince of Wales 
mounted by the scarlet-covered steps to the entrance of the palace, 
and then the Queen's carriage was drawn into position. It was what 
is known as "No. I plain posting landau," a carriage with a light- 
running body, built about a quarter of a century ago, and of which 
her Majesty was known to be very fond. The body was dark claret, 
lined with vermilion, the moldings outlined with beads of brass. 
Brass beads decorated the rumble, and the body loops and lamp 
irons were gilt. The wheels and underworks were vermilion, with 
heavy lines of gold. 

The carriage was drawn by the famous eight Hanoverian 
creams, cream in color, with long tails, white, almost fish-like eyes, 
and pink noses, their manes richly woven with ribbons of royal blue. 
They wore their new State harness saddle cloths of royal blue velvet, 
with rich fringes of bullion, the leather work red morocco above and 
blue morocco beneath, glittering everywhere with the royal arms — 
the lion, the unicorn, and the crown in gold. 

The liveries of the postilions were in keeping with the harness 
and had cost $600 a piece. They consisted of scarlet and gold 
coats, white trousers, and riding- boots. For once since the Prince 
Consort's death the Queen permitted the mourning band to be 



374 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

removed from the men's arms : there was no note of sorrow. Each 
of the horses was led by a "walking man" in the royal livery and 
a huntsman's black velvet cap. 

At ii.io a.m. a bustle on the main staircase announced the 
coming of her Majesty. 

Queen Victoria slowly descended the stairs, assisted by a 
scarlet-clad and white-turbaned Indian attendant. She was dressed 
in black, wore a black bonnet trimmed with white, and carried a 
white sunshade. At the foot of the stairway her Majesty paused for 
a minute, and touched an electric button connected with all the 
telegraph systems throughout the British empire, and it flashed 
around the world, to forty British governments and peoples, this 
simultaneous message : 

" From my heart I thank my beloved people. May God bless 
them !" 

Her Majesty then slowly seated herself in her carriage, and the 
royal trumpeters sounded a fanfare. The Princess of Wales and 
Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein joined the Queen, seating 
themselves opposite her Majesty, and the Queen's coach started. 

Two gillies in Highland costume, wearing the tartan of Mac- 
Donald of the Isles, the so-called Crown Prince of Scotland, occu- 
pied the rumble. 

As her Majesty emerged from the portico the sun broke brightly 
through the clouds, and the Queen raised her sunshade. At the 
same time the royal salute was fired, announcing to the waiting mil- 
lions that her Majesty was on her way through London. 

THE PROCESSION THROUGH LONDON 

Immediately preceding the royal carriage rode Lord Wolseley 
as Commander-in-chief of the Army. The Prince of Wales, the 
Duke of Cambridge, and the Duke of Connaught rode to their 
places about her Majesty's carriage, and the latter took its place in 
the procession. The Queen then rode in state from Buckingham 
Palace through seven miles of .streets gayly decorated, and lined by 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 375 

throngs of enthusiastic spectators. Probably five millions of people 
awaited her departure in London alone. 

The jubilee procession was practically in three sections as far 
as St. Paul's, though the two last en route to the Cathedral were 
consolidated as they moved into Piccadilly. The first to take up 
position was the colonial procession, which formed on the embank- 
ment and moved via the Mall, past the palace, where her Majesty 
viewed it from a window, over the route to St. Paul's. 

The march began at 9.45, and the great cortege proved a wel- 
come relief to the waiting multitude. For the colonies were living 
pictures, presenting in tangible shape the extent of the Queen's 
sway. The procession, after some police, was headed by an advance 
party of the Royal Horse Guards. Then followed the band of the 
same corps, playing the "Washington Post March." Next came 
Lord Frederick (now General Earl) Roberts, commanding the 
colonial troops, with Colonel Iver Herbert, of the Grenadier Guards, 
second in command. The trim, upright figure of the popular 
general, his breast covered with orders, sitting- his charger in the 
most soldier-like manner, elicited shouts of " Hurrah for Bobs ! " 

Close after him came the Canadian Hussars and the picturesque 
Northwest mounted police, as escort to the first Colonial Premier to 
win a round of cheers — Wilfrid Laurier, of. Canada. 

The New South Wales Lancers and the Mounted Rifles, with 
their gray semi-sombreros and black cock's plumes, succeeded them, 
escorting the Premier of New South Wales, S. H. Reid. 

The Victorian mounted troops followed, smart, weather-beaten 
fellows, in unattractive brownish uniforms, succeeded by the New 
Zealand mounted contingent, a fine-looking, sunburned lot, drawn 
from almost every town of any importance in the colony. A number 
of Maoris rode with these, their black faces exciting the greatest in- 
terest. They escorted the New Zealand Premier, Richard j. Seddon. 

The Queensland mounted infantry came next, in their khaki 
tunics and scarlet facings, and then the Premier of Queensland, Sir 
H. M. Nelson. For the moment Australia gave way to Africa, and 



376 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

the Cape of Good Hope Mounted Rifles — well-set-up men wearing 
the scarlet, with white helmets — rode by, accompanying the Cape 
Premier, Sir J. Gordon Sprigg. 

Then came the South Australian mounted troops, lean, long 
specimens of wiry manhood, dressed in khaki tunics *of yellowish 
brown, lit with bright scarlet, a blazing pugree on the spiked hel- 
mets, and double stripes down the seams of tightly fitting corduroy 
trousers, with large chamois leather patches where the knee gripped 
the saddle. 

The Premier of New Foundland, Sir W. V. Whiteway, followed, 
and after him came the Premier of Tasmania, Sir Eric Braddon. 
The Natal mounted troops, similar in equipment to the Cape 
brothers-in-arms, escorted H. M. Hescombe, the Premier of Natal, 
who was followed by Sir J. Forrest, Premier of Western Australia. 

Then succeeded an attractive display — mounted troops of the 
Crown Colonies, the Rhodesian Horse, and the Colonial Infantry, 
broken by three bands, typical of the United Kingdom, those of 
St. George's, the London Scottish, and the London Irish Rifle Vol- 
unteer Corps. The colonial contingent included local militia of 
Hong Kong, Singapore, Ceylon, Mauritius, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Ber- 
muda, and the Royal Malta Artillery Corps ; Hong Kong, Singa- 
pore, Ceylon, Mauritius, Jamaica, and Royal Malta Submarine Mining 
Companies of the Royal Engineers ; the West India Fortress Com- 
pany of Royal Engineers ; the West India Infantry regiment ; the 
Hong Kong regiment, and the Royal Malta regiment of militia. 

CONTINGENT FROM CANADA 

Then there passed the splendid contingent from Canada in- 
fantry, 175 strong, uniformed somewhat like the regular service 
infantry, with Colonel Alymer leading. Much applause was 
bestowed on these men, who in every way kept the Dominion to 
the front. 

Following these came the real oddities in the eyes of Lon- 
doners, of which the Zaptiehs from Cyprus divided honors with the 




HAWARDEN CASTLE 

'The Home of the Queen's Great Minister, William E. Gladstone 




HATFIELD HOUSE 
The Home of the Marquis of Salisbury, the Queen's last Prime Minister. 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 379 

Dyaks of Borneo. Both are military police ; the Zaptiehs were 
mounted on island ponies and wore the Turkish fez, with a jacket 
suggestive of Constantinople. The Borneo Dyaks, yellow-colored 
and small, were eagerly awaited by the crowd, owing to their head- 
hunting proclivities. 

Notable also were the Hong Kong police, Chinamen with 
strange, saucepan-like hats inverted over their immutable yellow 
faces. 

The Trinidad Field Artillery ; the Sierra Leone militia, with their 
strange, small blue turbans and depending tassels and knicker- 
bockers ; the British Guiana police, with their white-curtained caps ; 
the Haussas, in the familiar Zouave costumes of lone aeo, and the 
Royal Niger Haussas, — men who fought at Ilorin and Bida, — in 
uniforms of Kharkill cloth, trousers exposing the leg, and shaved 
heads, were all blacks. The Haussas, the blackest of the blacks, 
wearing "the burnished livery of the sun," were enthusiastically 
greeted. 

The procession ended as it began, appropriately, by defenders 
from Canada — the rest of the Northwest mounted police. The 
second procession passed the palace fifty minutes after the Colonials 
had climbed Constitution Hill. It was the military parade, and elo- 
quently filled up the picture of Britain's war strength. 

It was a carnival of gorgeous costume and color — scarlet and 
blue and gold, white and yellow ; shining cuirasses and polished 
helmets ; plumes and tassels ; furs and gold and silver spangled 
cloths ; bullion embroideries and accoutrements ; splendid trap- 
pings for horses, and more splendid trappings for men ; sashes and 
stars ; crosses and medals — medals for the Crimea, Indian, Seringa- 
patam, the Nile, Ashanti, Afghanistan, Chitral, South Africa, China, 
and dozens of others, and here and there the finest of them all, the 
most highly prized the world can .show, the Victoria cross ; death- 
dealing weapons — swords and revolvers, carbines and cutlasses ; 
batteries of artillery; men of splendid physique and horses with 
rare action, who fully entered into the spirit of it all, the fondly car- 



380 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

ried colors for which these men would die, and, over all, the rich 
strains of that music they loved to hear. The sight was one to stir 
the blood. 

The procession was led by Captain Ames, of the Second Life 
Guards, one of the tallest men in the British Army, who, by the 
special wish of the Prince of Wales, rode in front of the procession. 
He was followed by four of the tallest troopers in that regiment of 
very tall men. The naval brigade followed, wearing straw hats and 
carrying drawn cutlasses. They met with a rousing reception. 

As the soldiers wound out of sight to wait for the Queen's pro- 
cession on Constitution Hill, it seemed like nothing so much as some 
stream of burnished gold, flowing between dark banks of human 
beings. 

REVIEWED BY THE QUEEN 

The empire had passed in review, the army and navy had been 
shown in its panoplied strength, the head of it all was now to come 
— her Majesty. 

The military portion of the royal procession proper formed at 
Hyde Park, and marched round by Belgrave Square to the palace, 
where it was interwoven with the crowd of waiting dignitaries of all 

o o f 

sorts. When ready, it moved to join the rear of the military proces- 
sion. First came nine naval aides-de-camp, including Lord Charles 
Beresford ; then followed the military aides-de-camp to the Queen, 
among these being the Prince of Wales and the Dukes of 
Cambridge and Connaught Then followed alone the Lord Lieu- 
tenant of London, the Duke of Westminster, followed by a glitter- 
ing cavalcade of officers, among whom were Sir Redvers Puller and 
General Sir Evelyn Wood. 

Next came three officers of the auxiliary forces in attendance 
on the Prince of Wales, equeries, gentlemen-in-waiting and military 
attaches, foreign naval and military attaches, in alphabetical order, 
beginning w jth Austria and ending with the United States, followed 
by General Nelson A. Miles, representing the United States Army, 
and General Lagron, representing President Faure, of France. 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 381 

Most of the foreigners were men with a glittering array of titles, 
uniformed in the dresses of all the courts of Europe and half its 
crack regiments, and wearing all its stars. 

Then, as a compliment from the Kaiser, followed a deputation 
from the First Prussian Dragoon Guards, splendid looking men, 
quite able to live up to the Kaiser's reputation for turning out fine 
soldiers. 

Following these came the most brilliant group of all the soldiery, 
the officers of the Imperial Service Troops from India, in their uni- 
forms, — a mixture of the English regular army and native dress,— 
brilliant to a degree not to be witnessed outside of countries where 
barbaric splendor and ingenuity in embroidery is the rule. Most of 
the men were swarthy featured fellows, bearded, and wearing won- 
drously twisted turbans in colors and cloths of gold. Their tunics 
were of scarlet or blue or white or green, laced and interlaced with 
gold or silver. Many wore broad sashes, or " kammerbands," in 
radiant colors, and most of them white breeches with Napoleon 
boots ; many also wore massive gold earrings with enormous stones, 
while some wore, in addition, gold anklets ablaze with sapphires and 
emeralds. 

The special envoys not numbered among the princes followed 
the Indians, riding in two-horse landaus, painted lake and vermilion, 
with heavy lines of gold in the vermilion running gear, with scarlet 
and purple hammer cloths, and lined with blue-figured rep. The 
royal arms were on the panels and royal crowns on the tops. The 
horses were high-stepping bays. A gorgeous coachman sat in 
each box, clad in royal scarlet, white knee-breeches, and silk stock- 
ings, his head bewisfSfed with white horsehair and crowned with a 
magnificent three-cornered hat, decorated with ostrich plumes, dyed 
in royal red. Each hat cost $100, and must have required a cour- 
tier's art to keep balanced. 

Two gorgeous footmen stood at the back of each landau, 
dressed like the coachmen, only their hats were more of the old field- 
marshal's pattern, heavily bullioned and cockaded and trimmed with 



382 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

red ostrich tips. In the first carriage were the representatives of 
Costa Rica, Chili, and Greece ; in the second, those of Paraguay, 
Peru, Servia, and Central America ; in the third, those of Mexico, 
Uruguay, Guatemala, and Brazil; in the fourth, those of China, Bel- 
gium, Holland, and the Papal envoy ; in the fifth, the envoys of the 
United States, France, and Spain. 

The crowd began to show more eager interest as the Queen 
drew near. Following the envoys came landaus bearing the princes 
and princesses and other notable persons. 

The little princes and princesses who filled the first carriages 
were an interesting- feature. The girls, dressed in white, bowed 
right and left with the aplomb of their mothers, and the boys, in 
highland costume, saluted in the most approved style. 

Then the first part of the sovereign's escort rode into view 
— the Second Life Guards. As their brilliant uniforms appeared the 
whisper ran electrically, " She's coming." The Guards were suc- 
ceeded by the escort of British and foreign princes. The gor- 
geous uniforms and splendid horses of the princes, who rode in 
threes, made this part of the show the feature of the entire procession. 

At the head were the Marquis of Lome, son-in-law of the Queen, 
and the Duke of Fife, son-in-law of the Prince of Wales. The 
former wore a dark-blue uniform, and the latter a red uniform. They 
were both covered with orders. Behind them was every conceivable 
variety of brilliancy, from Mohammed Ali Khan, the Egyptian 
representative, in dark frock coat and fez, to the Austrian Archduke 
Francis Ferdinand, in a gorgeous hussar's uniform. 

SIX AND THREE-QUARTER MILES ROUTE 

The Duke of York rode toward the rear of the princes' escort, 
wearing a naval uniform and the Order of the Garter, while his 
children, on the main balcony of the palace, waved their hands to 
him. Following the princes came the Guard of Honor, twenty-two 
officers of native Indian cavalry corps, men of fine physique, pic- 
turesque uniform, and strange faiths — Jat Sikhs, Brahman Sikhs, 






THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 383 

Mussulman Pathans, Hindustani Mussulmans, Hindu Jats, Mussul- 
man Rajputs, Punjab Mussulmans, and plain Mussulmans. But for 
these the crowd had no eyes. They could see the Queen's horses- 

To emphasize the second basic idea in connection with the 
Queen's Diamond Jubilee, — loyalty being the first, — a wondrous 
wall of defense was in position both sides of the six and three- 
quarters miles of route which the Queen traversed, a wall of proud 
wearers of the Queen's uniform, in almost every variety known. It 
was a concrete, appreciable object-lesson in empire making and 
empire holding. 

The army, in the various arms of the service, presented an 
imposing array of almost 50,000 men, which, with those in the pro- 
cession, formed the flower of the British soldiery. 

The formal crossing of the boundary of the ancient city of Lon- 
don at Temple Bar was the occasion of the first ceremony of the 
day — the receiving of stately homage from the chief magistrate. 
The frame in which this picture was set was picturesque. On 
one side the broken gray pile of the Law Courts rose from portieres 
of legal luminaries, most of her Majesty's judges in their splendid 
robes and full-bottomed wig's, Oueen's counsels galore, in more 
somber silk and less voluminous horsehair, ladies in charming toi- 
lettes, and every window filled with eager faces. 

The Lord Mayor, Sir Faudel Phillips, and the city officials on 
horseback arrived ten minutes before the Queen was due. The 
Lord Mayor wore the earl's robe to which lord mayors are entitled 
when crowned heads visit the city — a cloak of ruby silk velvet lined 
with white silk and edged with ermine. Sheriffs Ritchie and Rogers 
wore the sheriff's velvet court dress, scarlet gowns, and chains. 

The "very goodlye sword," known as "Queen Elizabeth's 
pearl sword," presented to the corporation by the maiden queen at 
the opening of a royal exchange a.d. 1570, was carried by the Lord 
Mayor. The sword is three feet eleven inches long, with a fine 
Damascus blade. The pommel is silver gilt, with a carefully wrought 
figure in a medallion of Justice on either side. 



384 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

On the arrival of the Queen the Lord Mayor uncovered, and, 
approaching her carriage with all due obeisance, presented the hilt 
of the city's sword, which was undrawn. This was the ancient 
ceremony of dutiful submission. 

The Queen lightly touched it, thus returning it to the Lord 
Mayor in token that his submission was graciously accepted by his 
sovereign. Her Majesty then commanded the Lord Mayor and 
sheriffs to proceed. The sheriffs took their places with the aldermen 
and commoners immediately after the field-marshals ; the Lord 
Mayor rode bareheaded immediately before the sovereign's escort 
of Life Guards, and the procession moved toward St. Paul's. 

The great bells of St. Paul's broke out in happy chorus as the 
Queen's carriage started from Temple Bar, and only ceased as her 
Majesty's carriage stopped in front of the steps of the city cathedral. 

THE ESCORT OF PRINCES 

As the Queen's procession arrived the carriages containing the 
envoys and the princesses drew up en echelon on the roadway on 
the right. The escort of princes turned to the left on reaching the 
churchyard, and then to the right across the front of the edifice, 
drawn up in open order between the statue to Queen Ann and the 
cathedral steps. 

Her Majesty's carriage then came between, halting opposite 
the platform in front of the portico. The broad steps presented to 
the Queen a picture similar to that on a crowded stage, wonderful 
in the brilliant costuming. Immediately in front of the royal car- 
riage were the church dignitaries — the archbishops, robed in purple 
and gold, and holding their gilded croziers, and the lesser ecclesi- 
astics in white, with violet birettas. Then there were the cathedral 
dignitaries in white and gold capes and scarlet skull-caps, doctors 
of divinity in crimson cassocks, and back of them two massed mili- 
tary bands. Beyond the bands was the bareheaded surpliced choir, 
stretching to the cathedral door, a field of dazzling white. On the 
right of the archbishops were two rows of seated judges, robed in 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 3^5 

black, scarlet, and purple, and wearing their wigs, and on the left 
were other prominent ecclesiastics. 

In front of the platform was a cordon of Gentlemen of the 
Guard, twenty of the tallest noblemen of the royal household, uni- 
formed in scarlet and blue and flanked by the picturesque beef- 
eaters, or old-fashioned guardians of the tower, dressed in the 
costumes of the time of Henry VIII. 

The archbishops advanced down the steps upon the appear- 
ance of the royal procession, and remained standing throughout the 
ceremony. A Te Deum by Dr. Martin, organist of St. Paul's, com- 
posed for the occasion, was first sung. The bass solo was sung 
chorally by a large number of bassos, and the accompaniment was 
furnished by the military bands. 

As the sonorous "Amen" died away the sweet voices of the 
cathedral clergy were heard chanting "O Lord, Save the Queen," 
to which the great choir in a wondrous volume of harmonious sound 
responded "And Mercifully Hear Us When We Call Upon Thee." 

The Bishop of London then read a short collect. The Queen 
remained for a short time in prayer. Two verses of "Old Hundred" 
completed the service, and the vast congregation, joining with the 
choir, sang "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow." Then, 
amid the further ringing of bells, the national anthem was sung. 

The " Amens " in the service were accompanied by the blast 
of horns and the roll of drums. When all was ended, the Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury called for "Three times three cheers for 
Queen Victoria." All present rose and gave nine cheers for her 
Majesty, wildly waving their hats and handkerchiefs, the Queen 
bowing repeatedly. As the procession was being reformed the 
Queen called the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Arch- 
bishop of London to her carriage and thanked them. 

From St. Paul's the procession moved on to the Mansion 
House. The Lord Mayor here made obeisance, and presented the 
Lady Mayoress, who, attended by maids of honor on foot, ap- 
proached the carriage and offered to the Queen a beautiful silver 
basket filled with gorgeous orchids. 



3»6 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

The Queen twice replied: "I am deeply grateful." Her 
Majesty smiled, was evidently greatly pleased, and looked fresh and 
bright. She wore no spectacles, took the flowers, passed them to 
the Princess of Wales, and put out her hand to the Lady Mayoress 
to kiss. The latter, it is said, agitated by the splendor of the occa- 
sion, shook her Majesty's hand instead of kissing it. 

In the mean while a distant band struck up the national anthem, 
and the crowd joined in singing " God Save the Queen,'' which was 
sung by thousands of voices until her Majesty was out of sight. 

The Lord Mayor and sheriffs resumed their places in the pro- 
cession, but at London Bridge the Lord Mayor took leave of the 
sovereign and she passed out of the city limits. 

The Queen reached the palace on her return at 1.45, and a gun 
in Hyde Park announced that the great procession was over, and the 
event so long prepared had passed into history. The sound of the 
royal salute was answered by cheering, and then the crowd faded 
away as it came. On leaving the carriage the Queen was very 
much pleased and smiling and was not overfatigued. 

DEMONSTRATIONS WERE HELD IN ALL THE BRITISH COLONIES 

Nor was this all. As the celebration was planned, above all, 
to demonstrate the extent and power of the British empire and the 
unity and loyalty of all its constituent members, simultaneous 
demonstrations were held in all the British colonies and dependencies, 
from the Northwest Territory of Canada to Cape Colony, and from 
Malta to New Zealand. Nearly all the foreign cities, also, had fetes, 
decorations, and illuminations in honor of the Queen's Jubilee. 

The celebration evoked a chorus of comment. The recognition 
of its grandeur and significance was so wide and thorough as to be 
itself significant. A great American humorist, writing to the Phila- 
delphia "Press," said: 

"It took me but a little while to determine that this procession 
could not be described ; there was going to be too much of it, and 
too much variety in it, so I gave up the idea. It was to be a spec- 




THE QUEEN IN HER JUBILEE YEAR, 




OPENING OF PARLIAMENT IN 1886 
The Royal Processions .n Westminster Palace on the way tc the House of Peer* 




THE JUBILEE PROCESSION 

In T887 the Queen celebrated the 50th Anniversary of her Accession to the Throne. 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 389 

tacle for the camera, not the pen I was not dreaming of 

so stunning- a show. 

" It was a memorable display, and must live in history. It sug- 
gested the material glories of the reign finely and adequately. 
The absence of the chief creators of them was, perhaps, not a seri- 
ous disadvantage ; one could supply the vacancies by imagination, 
and thus fill out the procession very effectively ; one can enjoy a 
rainbow without necessarily forgetting the force that made it. 

"Mark Twain." 

Special Ambassador Whitelaw Reid said : " The march of to- 
day was one of the grandest and most impressive displays I have 
ever beheld. The most striking thing- also was the admirable con- 
duct of the people along the line of procession. Dense as the crowd 
was, there was no struggling or pushing, and the task of the police 
was an easy one." 

Ambassador Hay said : "It was a splendid, spontaneous out- 
burst of loyalty, and of a character to deeply impress the many 
foreigners who beheld it. The glories of the empire were faithfully 
imaged in long lines of marching men." 

Chauncey M. Depew's impressions were in part as follows : 

"We Americans glory in our country, and in its marvelous 
developments in a hundred years, and duly assert ourselves on the 
Fourth of July. The celebration by the Germans of the twenty-fifth 
anniversary of the battle of Sedan and the founding of the German 
empire, which I saw, was a wonderful exhibition of race and national 
feeling. 

" But the concentrated and irrepressible joy and pride which 
preceded, accompanied, and followed the Queen like a resistless 
torrent surpassed anything ever witnessed before. "Though many 
races and many tongues participated, the dominant absorbing ex- 
pression was English, and the glory was England's. Peers and 
commoners, masters and workmen, millionaires and the multitude, 
were welded by tremendous force. 

"This concentration of loyalty from the remotest corners of the 



39° THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

earth into one wild, frantic mass of patriotic enthusiasm had an 
effect upon observers which can be likened to nothing so much as 
to the North and South, electrified by the first gun fired at Fort 
Sumter, or by the Seventh Regiment marching down Broadway to 
the defense of the Capitol, 

" The enthusiasm and shouting were far different from those 
evoked by the triumphal procession of a Roman conqueror. Men 
and women eagerly expressed to each other, and emphasized to 
foreigners, as the colonials marched by, that they were not captives, 
chained to the chariot of their conqueror, but 'willing subjects — free 
citizens of one world-wide empire following their sovereign.' 

" I can conjure no tribute like the popular ovation to the Queen 
ever being given to any human being except the reception to Wash- 
ington by the people on his way from Mount Vernon to New York 
to assume the position of first President of the United States. 
Respect, reverence, love, or gratitude are words too tame, and 
there is no intermediate expression between them and adoration. 
This practical age does not worship, but, leaving out the idea 
of divinity, to-day's greeting to the Queen and Empress is its 
equivalent. 

"That she was deeply moved was evident, but she seemed 
more absorbed by the significance of the event than conscious of 
her past. Therein she impressed me as proud and happy with this 
grand tribute of her people, but at the same time sharing with them 
the universal joy in the thought of both oppressed and elevated 
that there has not been such a sixty years in recorded time — that all 
nations have enjoyed its benefits and blessings, and none more than 
our own. 

"But for this day and place the crowd only saw what Great 
Britain has gained during her reign, and accorded praise therefor to 
her. Her reign has been a period of emancipation in English his- 
tory. The prerogatives of the throne have diminished, and by her 
rule and conduct its power has so increased that this welcome came 
with acclaim and unanimity from the free people governing them- 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 39 1 

selves who gave it its might and majesty. Making due allowance 
for the exaltation of the hour, Victoria will occupy a great place in 
the history of the nineteenth century. Her influence for peace has 
been of momentous consequence to Great Britain, Europe, and 
civilization. 

'•■ She has always been cordial in her friendships and anxious 
ifor the loftiest relationship with the United States. Her messages, 
sweet, tender, and womanly, to the widow of Lincoln and the wife 
of the dying Garfield gave her a warm welcome and a permanent 
memory in our American homes. 

" In estimating her influence we must picture what might have 
occurred with a warlike or corrupt sovereign, and recognize in her 
power the accumulated force of sixty years of wisdom as a ruler 
and as the best example as woman, wife, and mother." 

TROOPS FROM EVERY QUARTER OF THE GLOBE 

The American commander, Nelson A. Miles, thus expressed in 
part his view of the day's military side : 

"I consider it as a remarkably fine display on the part of the 
military. The troops were as fine a set of men as any soldier could 
wish to see. The discipline was excellent. Their demeanor left 
nothing - to be desired. 

"I confess that what appealed to me more than anything else 
in the wonderful spectacle was the collection of troops from every 
quarter of the globe, — white, black, every hue, — all showing great 
efficiency and uniformity of instruction in military movement. The 
troops belonging to the British empire which I saw to-day would be 
creditable to any nation, as far as intelligence, their high order of 
efficiency, their equipment, their admirable conduct, were con- 
cerned. 

"The military representatives from the different nations of the 
world were also a most imposing feature of the pageant. I think 
almost every uniform worn by military men throughout the world 
was included in the procession. 



392 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 

"This city (London) has made a profound impression on me. 
I think it a wonderful thing, looking along an endless crowd in the 
streets to-day, to see that the majority of the people were of such 
good physical strength, so ruddy, so well dressed, and to think that 
they all found seemingly profitable employment in this one city." 

Though the war clouds were even then gathering over the 
Transvaal, President Kruger marked the occasion by releasing two 
Uitlander prisoners who had refused to sue for pardon. The event 
was celebrated in various ways by the British in the United States, 
and President McKinley sent a cable message felicitating the Queen 
on "the prolongation of a reign which has been illustrious and 
marked for advance in science, arts, and popular well-being." Lord 
Salisbury, in moving a Parliamentary address congratulating the 
Queen on "the longest, the most prosperous, and the most illustri- 
ous reign," spoke of it as a period marked by "a continuous advance 
in the frontiers of this empire, so that many races that were formerly 
alien to it have been brought under its influence ; many who were 
formerly within its boundaries have been made to feel in some degree 
for the first time the full benefits of its civilization and its educating 
influence." He dwelt also on the great political change: "The 
impulse of democracy, which began in another century and in other 
lands, has made itself felt in our times, and vast changes in the 
center of power and the incidence of responsibility have been made 
almost imperceptibly, without any disturbance or hindrance in the 
progress of the prosperous development of the nation." 

How England regarded the great event may be further shown 
by a quotation from the pen of an English writer : 

" The supreme pageant of the Diamond Jubilee celebration is 
over, and an event more superficially splendid, more intrinsically 
significant, than any this country has seen now takes its place in the 
recorded history of the Kingdom. Writing with the roar of London's 
welcome to Queen Victoria still in our ears, while yet the metropolis 
is bright as day and thousands still throng the streets under the 
glare of a million fires, it is not easy to set forth more than the bare 



THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 393 

fact of the magnificent success of her Majesty's great triumphal prog- 
ress from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul's Cathedral, from the city 
to Westminster, and to the palace again. Enthusiasm far beyond 
most loyal expectations marked her road, and every station of the 
long journey brought its own triumph and tribute. A reign unpar- 
alleled in duration and in splendor has been fittingly crowned by a 
British pageant unparalleled ; and the memory of this magnificent 
event will not only endure in the minds of the thousands upon thou- 
sands of English men and women who beheld it, but must leave its 
mark upon unnumbered children who in days to come will tell the 
great story to generations yet unborn." 

The spectacular features of the celebration culminated in the 
great naval review at Spithead on Saturday, June 28th. The ves- 
sels assembled, though they comprised only the Channel Squadron 
and coast defense fleet, with a few additional ones, being only about 
half of the Queen's navy, mustered four hundred, and formed a line 
twenty-five miles long, broken into five ranks of five miles each. 
A number of foreign warships, of which the American cruiser Brook- 
lyn, specially designated for the honor, was one, formed a sixth 
line, and a seventh was composed of seven of the largest ocean- 
liners. At 8 a. m. a signal was given, and instantly every ship was 
covered with flags and bunting. Later the Prince of Wales and a 
royal party on the Queen's yacht, Victoria mid Albert, reviewed the 
fleet ; while the guns of both British and foreign vessels fired a 
salute of twenty-one rounds, and every ship was "manned" by 
sailors and marines standing- in solid masses on the ironclads and 
filling all the yards of the sailing craft. At night there was a grand 
illumination of the whole fleet, and a royal salute of sixty guns was 
fired from every ship that had a gun to fire. 

A myriad of minor events had their part in the Jubilee, but these 
were the prominent ones. The chief feature of the entire celebra- 
tion was the demonstration of the loyalty of the colonists, and the 
glory of this demonstration was its value as evidence of the indivisi- 
ble unity of the British empire. 

-22 



CHAPTER XXII 
The Queen and Her Early Ministries 

WE can not undertake to give, in the brief space at our com- 
mand, an account of the numerous party movements and 
political discussions while Victoria was Queen. The best 
that can be done will be to offer a few passing remarks in reference 
to the succession of ministers and some of the important events of 
their administrations. The first great Reform Bill, which widely 
extended the franchise and cured many evils of ancient date in 
regard to representation, was passed in 1831. Before that time the 
House of Commons hardly represented the people at all, since 
places with no population sent members to Parliament, while some 
rich and flourishing cities were deprived of the franchise. This 
great abuse was removed in the reign of William IV. 

When Victoria came to the throne, Lord Melbourne was pre- 
mier of England, and held that post, largely through the Queen's 
desire for his retention and her vigorous opposition to the removal 
of her ladies-in-waiting, until September, 1841, when he was suc- 
ceeded by Sir Robert Peel, as chief of a Tory administration. The 
great question of that day was the protective policy, and especially 
the retention of the Corn Laws — import duties on foreign grain. It 
was on this question that the election of 1841 turned, and Peel was 
sustained by a large majority in his policy of retaining those laws. 
Yet in four years from that time we find him repealing the laws 
which he had been pledged to support, in the face of the execration 
of the great bulk of his own party. 

For centuries commerce in grain had been a subject of legisla- 
tion. In 1 36 1 its exportation from England was forbidden, and in 
1463 its importation was prohibited unless the price of wheat was 
394 



THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 395 

greater than 6s. 3d. per quarter. As time went on changes were 
made in these laws, but the tariff charges kept up the price of grain 
until late in the nineteenth century, and added greatly to the miseries 
of the working-classes. 

The farming land of England was not held by the common 
people, but by the aristocracy, who fought bitterly against the repeal 
of the Corn Laws, which, by laying a large duty on grain, added 
materially to their profits. But while the aristocrats were benefited, 
the workers suffered, the price of the loaf being decidedly raised 
and their scanty fare correspondingly diminished. 

RICHARD COBDEN, ONE OF ENGLAND'S GREAT ORATORS 

More than once they rose in riot against these laws, and occa- 
sional changes were made in them, but many years passed after the 
era of parliamentary reform before public opinion prevailed in this 
second field of effort. Richard Cobden, one of the greatest of 
England's orators, was the apostle of the crusade against these 
misery-producing laws. He advocated their repeal with a power 
and influence that in time o-rew irresistible. He was not affiliated 
with either of the great parties, but stood apart as an independent 
Radical, a man with a party of his own, and that party, Free Trade, 
for the crusade against the Corn Laws widened into one against the 
whole principle of protection. Backed by the public demand for 
cheap food the movement went on, until in 1846 Cobden brought 
over to his side the government forces under Sir Robert Peel, by 
whose aid the Corn Laws were swept away and the ports of England 
thrown open to the free entrance of food from any part of the 
world. 

The result was a serious one to English agriculture, but it 
was of great benefit to the English people in their status as the 
greatest of manufacturing and commercial nations. Supplying the 
world with goods, as they did, it was but just that the world should 
supply them with food. ' With the repeal of the duties on grain 
the whole system of protection was dropped, and in its place was 



396 THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 

adopted that system of free trade in which Great Britain stands 
alone among the nations of the world. It was a system especially 
adapted to a nation whose market was the world at large, and 
under it British commerce spread and flourished until it became 
one of the wonders of the world. 

The famine then raging in Ireland had much to do with the 
repeal of the Corn Laws, the opening of the ports to cheap food 
from abroad being necessary if several millions of the Irish peas- 
antry were to be saved from starvation. But, as a result, Peel 
was defeated in an appeal to his constituents for reelection, and 
resigned office, Lord John Russell succeeding him in July, 1846. 

For modesty, dignity, simplicity, and sincerity the figure of Sir 
Robert Peel is conspicuous among the great statesmen of the coun- 
try and century. Cobden said of him that he lost office and saved 
his country. In addition to his work in repealing the Corn Laws, 
he reorganized and simplified the finances of the government, a ser- 
vice for which he was highly esteemed by the Queen and Prince 
Albert, both of them strict economists in their private affairs and 
desirous of similar economy in national concerns. When Peel suc- 
ceeded Melbourne, the finances were in a desperate state : the 
revenue was falling, huge deficits were occurring, and ruin seemed 
impending ; while in the country at large a state of semi-starvation 
prevailed. Peel lifted the state out of this slough, brought back 
prosperity to the people, and redeemed the revenue from chaos 
He was a man of whom it was said that it was necessary to know 
him intimately to know him at all ; and such an intimacy and friend- 
ship existed between him and the Queen. In his five years' pre- 
miership he did much in teaching the young sovereign the prin- 
ciples of politics and government, and Victoria grew to depend on 
him with a trust equal to that she had placed in Lord Melbourne. 
In the critical times that followed, this far-seeing and able statesman 
was one of the most important supporters of the government, and 
would probably have come again to its head but for a hunting acci- 
dent which caused his death in 1850. 



THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 397 

Lord John Russell, on coming into office in 1846, found himself 
confronted by a difficult situation. The whole country was in a state 
of incipient rebellion, the result of the recent severe distress. The 
famine in Ireland, due to the destruction of its chief food substance 
by what was known as " the potato rot," still continued, and in spite 
of every effort for relief hundreds of thousands perished from 
starvation and its attendant pestilence. 

The intense feeling which this engendered against the govern- 
ment led in 1848 to a sentiment of rebellion, with which Lord 
Russell's administration had to deal. John Mitchell, editor of "The 
United Irishman," stirred the people to revolt, and openly gave them 
advice how to act in a street fight. They were to throw broken 
glass in the streets to lame the horses of the cavalry, and to fling 
missiles from the houses. They were advised to use "boiling 
water or grease, or cold vitriol if available. Molten lead is good, 
but too valuable : it should always be cast in bullets and allowed to 
cool." An attempt was made to obtain aid from France, but the 
government there refused to have anything to do with the move- 
ment. In the end Mitchell and his associates were arrested and 
transported, and the danger was averted. 

The trouble, however, was not confined to Ireland, the pinch 
of scarcity of food being bitterly felt in England and Scotland. 
Wheat, in February, 1847, was 102 shillings a quarter, or over three 
dollars a bushel ; and not only was food dear and scarce, but a com- 
mercial panic led to a great depression in business, attended by lack 
of employment and loss of wages. All classes of society felt the 
pinch ; but while it meant only lack of luxuries to the rich, it meant 
actual' want of the necessaries of life to the poor. The result was a 
perilous threat of rebellion. In Scotland a serious outbreak took 
place near Glasgow, and the whole manufacturing district of western 
Scotland might have been swept with riot and bloodshed but for the 
vigorous action of the authorities, who nipped the insurrection in the 

bud. 

In England the threat of trouble came from the Chartist agita- 



398 THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 

tion. During the Reform excitement of 1832 the revolutionary 
party embodied their demands in what was called the " People's 
Charter," which asked for universal suffrage, vote by ballot, annual 
Parliaments, abolition of property qualification in candidates, pay- 
ment of members, and equal electoral districts. Nearly all these 
demands have since been granted, but then they were opposed by 
the conservative party as utterly revolutionary. For ten years the 
agitation continued, riots were numerous, and many of the Chartist 
leaders were arrested. The details of this trouble we give in 
another chapter. 

Dunns' the agitation the Oueen, on the advice of Lord John 
Russell, had retired to Osborne. She had been much affected by 
the revolutionary events on the Continent, and on March 6th she 
wrote to Baron Stockmar that they had gone through "enough for 
a whole life — anxiety, sorrow, excitement." On that very day a 
mob attacked Buckingham Palace, breaking the lamps and shouting 
"Vive la Republique !" Two weeks afterwards the Princess 
Louise was born, and with a three-weeks-old baby on her hands, the 
Queen could well be pardoned for withdrawing from the possible 
insurrection on April 10th. On the succeeding day Prince Albert 
wrote, "What a glorious day was yesterday for England! How 
mightily this will tell all over the world ! " 

The next event of importance in the ministerial history of Eng- 
land came in 1851, as a result of the Queen's disapproval of the 
actions of Lord Palmerston, Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the 
Russell Cabinet. What the Queen objected to was Palmerston's 
unwarranted habit of sending out despatches on important subjects 
in his own words and on his own responsibility. These, when 
altered by the Cabinet and the Queen, were sometimes changed 
again by Palmerston and sent abroad, making the sovereign and 
minister appear to have consented to matters of which they entirely 
disapproved. In other cases he would send the Queen despatches 
which he gave her very little time to examine, as if he wished her to 
sign something which she did not understand. 



THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 399 

Complaints were made by the Queen, Russell remonstrated 
with Palmerston, but the latter proved incorrigible ; while his amus- 
ing- manner, his unyielding good nature, his absence of bitter feeling 
against his opponents, disarmed those who sought to call him to 
terms. He would boast of his triumphs, while defeat ran off him 
like rain, and the next day he would be joking as jovially as ever. 

This could not go on indefinitely. When the Neapolitans were 
in insurrection against their infamous king in 1849, Palmerston sent 
them arms from the English arsenals without the knowledge of his 
colleagues. Russell first found out what his Foreign Secretary was 
doing through a question asked in Parliament. As a result, Palmers- 
ton had to make an official apology to the King of Naples. In 
1850, when the Austrian General, Haynau, abhorred for his brutal 
treatment of the Hungarians, was mobbed by the brewers' draymen 
during a visit to London, Palmerston apologized to the Austrian 
charge d'affaires for the incident, but expressed his real sentiment 
in a private letter, saying: "The draymen were wrong in the par- 
ticular course they adopted. They ought to have tossed him in a 
blanket, rolled him in the kennel, and then sent him home in a cab, 
paying his fare to the hotel." 

THE QUEEN AND LORD PALMERSTON 

When ordered to write a formal apology to the Austrian gov- 
ernment, Palmerston did not willingly accede, and his wording of it 
led to a long controversy between himself, the Prime Minister, and 
the Queen. In his draft of the paper he implied that General 
Haynau would have shown better taste by taking his autumn holi- 
day nearer home. This was corrected by Lord Russell, and the 
correction was indorsed by the Queen and the paper returned to 
Palmerston. But before it reached him he had sent off a copy of 
the original despatch. 

A pitched battle ensued. Palmerston said he would rather 
resign than withdraw his despatch in favor of the one approved by 
Russell and the Queen. He did not resign. One author says that 



4oo THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 

in the end he gave way. Another says that he never yielded. 
However that was, there ensued a long-continued hostility of Aus- 
tria to England. Palmerston gave Austria still better reason for 
this. In 1 85 1 Kossuth visited England, where he met with an 
enthusiastic ovation from the people. The fury of the Austrians at 
this action was intensified by the report that Palmerston proposed to 
receive the Hungarian exile at the Foreign Office. Many politicians 
thought that Austria would look upon this as equivalent to a decla- 
ration of war, and the cabinet was greatly relieved when Palmerston 
yielded to their remonstrances. A few days afterwards Greville saw 
Russell and Palmerston together at Windsor, "mighty merry and 
cordial, laughing and talking together." 

But Palmerston was not to be controlled. He did not hesitate 
to express in public his sympathy with the Hungarians, and spoke 
of the British government as the "judicious bottle-holder" in the 
conflict between Austria and Hungary. His action was severely 
censured by Cabinet and Queen. Her Majesty was very angry, and 
was not to be appeased when told that her Foreign Secretary was 
very popular with the people of England, even if the Austrian 
emperor was angry. She replied: "It is no question with the 
Queen whether she pleases the Emperor of Austria or not, but 
whether she gives him a just ground of complaint or not, and if 
she does so, she can never believe that this will add to her popular- 
ity with her own people." 

This letter was written to Russell, who showed it to Palmerston, 
bidding him to be more guarded in his conduct. Lord John answered 
the Queen to the effect that he was sure her remonstrance would 
"have its effect upon Lord Palmerston." They did not yet know 
that versatile individual. The ink with which these letters were 
written was hardly dry when, like a thunderbolt, came the news of 
the coup d'etat by which Louis Napoleon had overthrown the French 
government, sent his opponents to prison, shot down thousands of 
people in the streets of Paris, and exiled 500 persons to Cayenne 
without a trial. 



THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 401 

The Queen at once wrote to Lord Russell, bidding him caution 
the British ambassador in Paris to be strictly neutral, and to remain 
passive towards the new government. Lord Palmerston sent off 
those instructions. But at the same time he met the French ambas- 
sador in London and told him that he fully approved of the coup 
d'etat, and did not see how the President could have done anything 
else. Soon after he sent a despatch to Lord Normandy, the British 
ambassador, fully approving of Louis Napoleon's action. This 
document was not shown either the Queen or Premier, and was in 
open opposition to their express wishes. 

Palmerston had carried his autocratic ways to a finish. He was 
at once dismissed from office by Lord Russell, with the full approval 
of the Queen. There was great rejoicing over his fall in the 
despotic courts of Europe, especially in Austria, and it was widely 
predicted that his political career was at an end, particularly as 
Parliament fully sustained the action of the Prime Minister. But 
those who thought he was done for did not know Palmerston nor 
the sentiment of the British people. In two months afterwards he 
"gave Russell his tit for tat," defeating him over a militia bill in 
February, 1852. 

PALMERSTON IS SUCCEEDED BY LORD DERBY 

A ministry under Lord Derby followed, but this came to an end 
in December, when the reins of government fell into the hands of 
the Earl of Aberdeen, with Russell for Foreign Secretary and leader 
in the House of Commons, and Palmerston for Home Secretary. 
It is said that during this administration Palmerston continued to 
dictate the policy of the foreign office, and knew next to nothing of 
home affairs. When the Queen asked him about some labor 
troubles in the North of England, she found that he was quite 
ignorant of them. One morning she said to him: "Pray, Lord 
Palmerston, have you any news?" "No, madam," he replied, "I 
have heard nothing ; but it seems certain that the Turks have crossed 
the Danube" 



4Q2 THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 

The Crimean War that followed was strongly approved by 
Lord Palmerston, and in this the Queen was heartily in accord with 
him. The events of this war gave him a final triumph over his foes, 
leading him to the highest position a British subject can fill, that of 
Prime Minister. The vacillating policy displayed by the Aberdeen 
ministry in the conduct of this war, and the gross mismanagement 
of the commissariat in the winter of 1854, led to its downfall, Lord 
Aberdeen resigning on February 1, 1855. Palmerston, then seventy 
years old, succeeded, being called to the premiership by the unan- 
imous demand of the nation. In his own words, he was "the 
inevitable." 

Under his control the war was vigorously prosecuted, until 
Sebastopol fell and peace was made. On the signing of the treaty 
of peace, in April, 1856, the Queen invested him with the Order of 
the Garter, in token of her earnest appreciation of his services to 
the country. In 1857 the ministry was defeated in Parliament on a 
motion by Mr. Cobden condemning the Chinese war. Palmerston 
appealed to the country, and was strongly supported, the new 
Parliament having a large majority in his favor. 

He was again defeated, however, in February, 1858, over the 
Conspiracy Bill — intended to protect the French emperor against 
the plots of political refugees. Lord Derby formed the new min- 
istry, the chief important event in whose short career was the Indian 
mutiny, a fierce struggle for independence among the Queen's sub- 
jects in India, which led to horrors unmentionable, but ended in the 
reestablishment of British authority over that distant realm. 

In 1859 the Derby ministry met with defeat upon a Reform 
measure, and in an appeal to the country found itself without sup- 
port. Derby resigned on a vote of want of confidence, and in June 
Lord Palmerston was again asked by the Queen to form a ministry, 
and once more returned to the chief place in the government under 
the sovereign. This term as Premier ended only with his death, on 
October 18, 1865. 

The great event of this period was the American Civil War, in 



THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 403 

which Great Britain became especially concerned over what was 
known as "the Trent affair" — the forcible seizure of two Southern 
envoys on their way to Europe upon an English ship, the Trent. 
Palmerston sent a despatch on the subject to the Queen for 
approval, which, if mailed as written, might have led to war between 
the two countries. It came back from the sovereign's hand essen- 
tially modified, and Palmerston this time did not attempt his former 
arbitrary method of ignoring the Queen's desire. As a result, the 
affair blew quietly over. 

Victoria wrote to Palmerston saying that the peaceful issue of 
the quarrel was "greatly owing to her beloved Prince," who had 
died while the settlement was being* made. The Prime Minister, 
in his reply, acknowledged the wisdom of Prince Albert in this 
critical difficulty, and said . "But these alterations were only one of 
innumerable instances of the tact and judgment and the power of 
nice discrimination which excited Lord Palmerston's constant and 
unbounded admiration." 

There were other questions of moment that arose during the 
American Civil War, and in which the management of the ministry 
made trouble for England. Notable among these was the permis- 
sion for the building of a privateer for the Southern Confederacy in 
England, and the freedom given this vessel, the Alabama, to sail 
from an English port, in defiance of the protest of the American 
minister. This was one of the "curses" that "came home to 
roost." Great Britain paid dearly for her fault ten or twelve years 
afterwards. 

EARL RUSSELL AGAIN PRIME MINISTER 

On the death of Palmerston, Russell — now Earl Russell — again 
became Prime Minister, but held the post only some eight months, 
being defeated in June, 1866, on a Reform Bill which he brought 
forward. He was succeeded by the Earl of Derby, who now for the 
third time became Prime Minister. The question of reform was in 
the air, the reform granted in 1832 being insufficient to meet the 
national demand three decades later, and an insistent demand for a 



4©4 THE QUEEN AND HER EARLY MINISTRIES 

greater extension of the suffrage grew more vital year after year. 
This question, as we have seen, overthrew Russell's ministry. It be- 
came the leading problem in that of Derby, and in 1867, in conjunc- 
tion with Disraeli, he passed a new Reform Bill of far more liberal 
character. In February, 1868, ill health induced him to resign the 
premiership in favor of his colleague, Disraeli. The character of the 
reform measure alluded to, with the conditions surrounding the new 
administration, will be dealt with in a succeeding chapter. 

It will not be amiss to state, at this point, a fact which many do 
not know concerning Queen Victoria's labors and power. There 
were few harder workers in her kingdom than its ruler, and, to 
make a rough estimate, she signed 50,000 documents yearly. No 
despatch of any importance was issued from the Foreign Office 
without passing through her hands and being understood by her 
before signing, and it is said that this office alone handles consider- 
ably over a thousand despatches weekly. The constant supervision 
over affairs, thus indicated, is shown in several statements made in 
this chapter, and it may be seen that, while she could not defy the 
will of the people, she was capable of exercising considerable con- 
trol over the progress of affairs as an adviser, and at times as a 
royal mistress. As for her position being a sinecure, some doubt 
may be felt in view of the facts here stated. A thoroughly consci- 
entious constitutional monarch would find it difficult to live a life of 
idleness. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

Gladstone and Disraeli, Victoria's Great 

Ministers 

'HE long reign of England's Queen was marked by many 
ministries, headed by able premiers who bore the weight of 
the Empire upon their broad shoulders, and relieved the 
monarch of those heavy cares and responsibilities of state which 
only men of exceptional mental strength and experience in political 
affairs are competent to bear. Among these one man stood above 
all his compeers in moral and mental worth and dignity, and in the 
respect and reverence of the people of all nations, William Ewart 
Gladstone, Victoria's greatest and noblest Minister, and a man 
whose political career very nearly covered the whole period of her 
reign. 

THE GREAT ADVOCATE OF ENGLISH LIBERALISM 

It is a fact of much interest, as showing the growth of the 
human mind, that Gladstone, the great advocate of English 
Liberalism, made his first political speech in vigorous opposition to 
the Reform Bill of 1831. He was then a student at Oxford 
University, but this boyish address had such an effect upon his 
hearers, that Bishop Wordsworth felt sure the speaker "would one 
day rise to be Prime Minister of England." This prophetic utter- 
ance may be mated with another one, by Archdeacon Denison, 
who said : " I have just heard the best speech I ever heard in my 
life, by Gladstone, against the Reform Bill. But, mark my words, 
that man will one day be a Liberal, for he argued against the Bill 
on liberal ground." Both these far-seeing men hit the mark: 
Gladstone became Prime Minister, and for many years he figured 
as the leader of the Liberal Party in England. 

405 



406 



VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 



In April, 1853, Gladstone, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
introduced his first Financial Budget, which was acknowledged as 




THE VICEROY PROCLAIMING QUEEN VICTORIA EMPRESS OF INDIA 

a marvel of ingenious statesmanship in its highly successful effort 
to equalize taxation. Taken altogether this first Budget of Mr. 
Gladstone maybe justly called- the greatest of the century. The 



VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 407 

speech in which it was introduced and expounded created an extra- 
ordinary impression on the House and the country. For the first 
time in Parliament, figures were made as interesting as a fairy tale ; 
the dry bones of statistics were invested with a new and potent life, 
and it was shown how the yearly balancing of the national 
accounts might be directed by and made to promote the profound- 
est and most fruitful principles of statesmanship. With such 
lucidity and picturesqueness was this financial oratory rolled forth 
that the dullest intellect could follow with pleasure the complicated 
scheme; and for five hours the House of Commons sat as if it were 
under the sway of a magician's wand. When Mr. Gladstone 
resumed his seat, it was felt that the career of the coalition Min- 
istry was assured by the genius that was discovered in its Chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer. 

Gladstone's remarkable oratorical powers 

It was, indeed, to Gladstone's remarkable oratorical powers 
that much of his success as a statesman was due. No man of his 
period was his equal in swaying and convincing his hearers. His 
rich and musical voice, his varied and animated gestures, his 
impressive and vigorous delivery, great fluency, and wonderful 
precision of statement, gave him a power over an audience which 
few men of the century have enjoyed. His sentences, indeed, were 
long and involved, growing more so as his years advanced, but their 
fine choice of words, rich rhetoric, and eloquent delivery carried 
away all that heard him, as did his deep earnestness, and intense 
conviction of the truth of his utterances. 

Gladstone's career was that of a soldier, a man constantly at 
war for what seemed to him the best interests of his country and 
the good of mankind at large. Opposed to him, through nearly 
his whole career, as leader of the opposite forces, was Benjamin 
Disraeli — in his later years Earl of Beaconsfield — the high-priest 
of expediency, one of the most skilful of Parliamentarians, and 
ablest of party leaders, and a man with but one object in view, the 



408 VICTORIAS GREAT MINISTERS 

supremacy of England in the world's councils, right or wrong, and 
with it his own supremacy as England's uncrowned ruler. 

For many years the struggle between these two powerful men 
continued. Plumed knights of politics, their battle was fought, now 
on the floor of Parliament, now in the open field of public debate, 
Now one, now the other, was victorious, and for many years Eng- 
land rang with their names. Their Royal Lady, the Queen, loved 
Gladstone, the champion of moral right. 

Her feeling towards Disraeli varied with the progress of his 
career. At its outset she viewed him with suspicion and distrust, 
but in his later life she grew to value him as a statesman and a 
friend more than any Prime Minister after Peel and Aberdeen. His 
policy of Imperialism she was in full accord with, and there was 
no statesman of her reign to whom she gave higher regard and 
friendship. 

THE REFORM BILL OF 1 866 

The great measure which brought Gladstone and Disraeli — 
opponents through their v/hole Parliamentary careers — most 
actively into contest, was the Reform Bill of 1866, introduced by 
Gladstone, then leader of the House and Chancellor of the 
Exchequer under Earl Russell. This Bill proposed to extend the 
franchise in counties and boroughs, and would have added about 
400,000 voters to the electorate. In the debate that followed 
there was a grand oratorical contest between the hostile statesmen. 
Disraeli spoke sneeringly of Gladstone's youthful speech in 1831 
against the first Reform Bill. Gladstone replied in a burst of 
noble eloquence, scoring his opponent for lingering in the toils of 
conservatism, and proudly sustaining his own conversion to liberal- 
ism. If the Bill fell the principle of right and justice, on which it 
was founded, would not fall. It was sure to triumph in the end. 

Disraeli and his party won. The Bill was defeated. But its 
defeat roused the people almost as they had been roused in 1832. 
A formidable riot broke out in London. Ten thousand people 
marched in procession past Gladstone's residence, singing odes in 



VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 409 

honor of "the People's William." There were demonstrations in 
his favor and in support of the Bill througout the country. The 
agitation continued during the winter, its fire fed by the eloquence 
of another of the great orators of the century, the "tribune of the 
people," John Bright, who became one of the leaders in the new 
campaign. Through his eloquence and that of Gladstone the 
force of public opinion rose to such a height that the new Derby- 
Disraeli ministry found itself obliged to bring in a bill similar to 
that which it had worked so hard to overthrow. 

And now a striking event took place. The Tory Reform Bill 
was satisfactory to Gladstone in its general features, but he pro- 
posed many improvements— lodger franchise, educational and 
savings-bank franchises, enlargement of the redistribution of seats, 
etc. — every one of which was yielded in committee, until, as one 
lord remarked, nothing of the original bill remained but the open- 
ing word, "Whereas." This bill, really the work of Gladstone, 
and more liberal than the one which had been defeated, was 
passed, and Toryism, in the very success of its measure, suffered a 
crushing defeat. To Gladstone, as the people perceived, their right 
to vote was due. 

But Disraeli was soon to attain to the exalted office for which 
he had long been striving. In February, 1868, failing health 
caused Lord Derby to resign, and Disraeli was asked to form a 
new administration. Thus the "Asian Mystery," as he had been 
entitled, reached the summit of his ambition, in becoming Prime 
Minister of England. 

He was not to hold this position long. Gladstone was to 
reach the same high eminence before the year should end. 
Disraeli's government, beginning in February, 1868, was defeated 
on the disestablishment of the Irish Church ; an appeal to the 
country resulted in a large Liberal gain ; and on December 4th the 
Queen sent for Mr. Gladstone and commissioned him to form a 
new ministry. The task was completed by the 9th, Mr. Bright, 
who had aided so greatly in the triumph of the Liberals, entering 

23 



4 1 o VICTORIA ' 5 GREA T MINISTERS 

the new cabinet as President of the Board of Trade. Thus at last, 
after thirty-five years of active public life, Mr. Gladstone was at the 
summit of power — Prime Minister of Great Britain with a strong 
majority in Parliament in his support. 

The period which followed the election in 1868 — the period of 
the Gladstone Administration of 1868-74 — has been called "the 
golden age of Liberalism." It was certainly a period of great 
reforms. The first, the most heroic, and probably — taking all the 
results into account — the most completely successful of these, 
was the disestablishment of the Irish Church. 

Though Mr. Gladstone had a great majority at his back, the 
difficulties which confronted him were immense. In Ireland the 
wildest protests emanated from the friends of the Establishment. 
The " loyal minority " declared that their loyalty would come to 
an end if the measure were passed. One synod, speaking with a 
large assumption, even for a synod, of inspired knowledge, 
denounced it as "highly offensive to the Almighty God." The 
Orangemen threatened to rise in insurrection. A martial clergy- 
man proposed to "kick the Queen's crown into the Boyne " if she 
assented to such a bill. Another announced his intention of fight- 
ing- with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other. These 
appeals and these threats of civil war, absurd as they proved to be 
in reality, were not without producing some effect in Great Britain, 
and it was amid a din of warnings, of misgiving counsels, and of 
hostile cries, that Mr. Gladstone proceeded to carry out the man- 
date of the nation which he had received at the polls. 

On the first of March, 1869, he introduced his Disestablish- 
ment Bill. His speech was one of the greatest marvels amongst 
his oratorical achievements. His chief opponent declared that, 
though it lasted three hours, it did not contain a redundant word. 
The scheme which it unfolded — a scheme which withdrew the tem- 
poral establishment of a Church in such a manner that the Church 
was benefited, not injured, and which lifted from the backs of an 
oppressed people an intolerable burden — was a triumph of creative 



VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 411 

genius. Leaving aside his Budgets, which stand in a different 
category, it seems to us there is no room to doubt that in his 
record of constructive legislation this measure for the disestab- 
lishment of the Irish Church is Mr. Gladstone's most perfect 
masterpiece. 

Disraeli's speech in opposition to this measure was referred to 
by the London Times as " flimsiness relieved by spangles." After a 
debate in which Mr. Bright made one of his most famous speeches, 
the Bill was carried by a majority of 118. Before this strong mani- 
festation of the popular will, the House of Lords, which deeply 
disliked the Bill, felt obliged to give way, and passed it by a majority 
of seven. 

VICTORIA ACTS BY ROYAL WARRANT 

In 1870 Mr. Gladstone introduced his Irish Land Bill, a 
measure of reform which Parliament had for years refused to grant. 
By it the tenant was given the right to hold his farm as long as he 
paid his rent, and received a claim upon the improvement made 
by himself and his predecessors — a tenant-right which he could 
sell. This Bill was triumphantly carried. It was followed by 
other important Liberal measures, a Bill establishing free secular 
education, vote by ballot, — one of the measures demanded by the 
Chartists, — and abolition of the purchase of army commissioners, 
in which latter measure Gladstone came into violent conflict with 
the House of Lords. He carried it by an autocratic action. Find- 
ing that purchase in the army existed, not by law, but simply 
by royal sanction, he advised the Queen to cancel it by royal war- 
rant. This was done. It was the only time in Victoria's reign 
that she acted without parliamentary sanction, and the act was 
denounced as unconstitutional, and as Csesarism and Cromwell- 
ism ; but Gladstone was resolute enough to sustain it against 
all hostile criticism. 

The tide of reform legislation came to an end in 1873, the 
government meeting with defeat. Gladstone resigned, but as 
Disraeli declined to form a government, he was obliged to resume 



4 1 2 VICTORIA 'S GREA T MINISTERS 

office. In 1874 he dissolved Parliament and appealed for support 
to the country. The election went against him and he again re- 
signed. Diraeli now succeeded him as Prime Minister, Gladstone 
retiring to private life. 

The new Minister adopted a policy of Imperialism, which, in 
1852, he had distinctly opposed. In that year he wrote to the 
Foreign Secretary : " These wretched colonies will all be inde- 
pendent in a few years, and are a millstone round our necks." His 
views since then had undergone a revolution, and he now posed as 
the great advocate of colonial expansion, and of the development 
of the Indian Empire. 

It has been said that the English people conquered and colo- 
nized half the world in a fit of absence of mind. It remained for 
this statesman of Jewish birth to point out that the achievement 
was a notable one, and that the secret of England's glory and 
strength lay in the development of her colonial dominion. The 
remainder of Disraeli's life was largely spent in carrying forward 
a policy of imperial outgrowth, of which one of the most showy and 
dramatic pictures was the enactment, in 1876, of a measure giving 
the Queen the title of Empress of India, and proclaiming this fact 
to her Indian subjects in 1877. 

When the measure was first proposed it was very unpopular. 
People thought that to put such a brand-new piece of tinsel upon 
the old crown of England was childish and vulgar. Its advocates 
replied that it would impress the Eastern mind, and that the title 
would never be used in England, so the Royal Titles Bill gained 
the consent of Parliament. 

Accompanied by splendid ceremonial, the proclamation, at the 
command of Lord Lytton, the Viceroy, was read by heralds in 
different languages, and after each reading salvoes of artillery were 
fired. The native Princes, with the new banners that had been 
presented to them, their gorgeously-dressed retinues, and the hun- 
dreds of elephants that were arranged behind their chairs, made 
not the least striking picture iii the pageant. 



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QUEEN VICTORIA 
Scenes in her official and domestic life. 



VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 41 S 

" The sports of children satisfy the child," and what gratified 
the chiefs most was the addition made in several instances to the 
number of guns in their salutes. Very popular, too, were the 
hereditary titles conferred in honor of the occasion upon some of 
the ruling chiefs ; thus the Guicowar was to be styled " Child of 
the English Government," Scindia, " The Sword of the Empire," 
and the Maharajah of Cashmere, "The Shield of the Indian 
Empire." Disraeli himself was rewarded by his Royal Mistress by 
being raised to the peerage with the title of Earl of Beaconsfield. 

The atrocities committed by the Turks in Bulgaria in 1876 
called Gladstone again into the field, and he denounced these 
butcheries with all the strength of his vigorous rhetoric and the 
fire of his moral energy — calling the Government sharply to 
account for its support of a nation of assassins. For four years he 
sought, as he expressed it, " night and day to counterwork the pur- 
pose of Lord Beaconsfield." He succeeded. England was pre- 
vented by his eloquence from joining the Turks in the war ; but 
he excited the fury of the war party to such an extent that at one 
time it was not safe for him to appear in the streets of London. 
Nor was he quite safe in the House of Commons, where the Con- 
servatives hated him so bitterly as to jeer and interrupt him when- 
ever he spoke, and a party of them went so far as to mob him in 
the House. 

THE QUEEN'S REGARD FOR DISRAELI 

Yet the sentiment he had aroused saved the country from the 
greatest of the follies with which it was threatened ; and, if it failed 
to stop the lesser adventures in which Lord Beaconsfield found an 
outlet for the passions he had unloosed, — an annexation of Cyprus, 
an interference in Egypt, a suzerainty over the Transvaal, a Zulu war 
which Mr. Gladstone denounced as "one of the most monstrous and 
indefensible in our history," an Afghan war which he described as a 
national crime, — it nevertheless was so true an interpretation of 
the best, the deliberate, judgment of the nation, that it sufficed 
eventually to bring the Liberal party back to power. 



4 i6 VICTORIAS GREAT MINISTERS 

In the parliamentary election of 1880 a great Liberal victory 
was gained and an overwhelming majority returned to Parliament. 
Beaconsfield at once resigned, and Gladstone a second time wa*s 
called to the head of the government. This was the end of 
Disraeli's career. He died in the following year. The Queen 
showed her warm regard for him by the memorial tablet which she 
placed in Haghenden Church, and on which was the following 
inscription, written by herself : 

To the Dear and Honored Memory of 
Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, 
This Memorial is placed by 
His Grateful and Affectionate Sovereign and Friend, 

Victoria. R. I. 
" Kings love them that speak right." — Prov. xvi, 13. 

In Gladstone's new administration the Irish question, which 
had been dwarfed by the Eastern problem under Beaconsfield's 
rule, rose again into prominence. Gladstone, in assuming control 
of the new government, was quite unaware of the task before him. 
When he had completed his work with the Church and the Land 
Bills, ten years before, he fondly fancied that the Irish question 
was definitely settled. The Home Rule movement, which was 
started in 1870, seemed to him a wild delusion which would die 
away of itself. In 1884 he said : "I frankly admit that I had had 
much upon my hands connected with the doings of the Beacons- 
field Government in every quarter of the world, and I did not 
know — no one knew — the severity of the crisis that was already 
swelling upon the horizon, and that shortly after rushed upon us 
like a flood." 

He was not long in discovering the gravity of the situation, of 
which the House had been warned by Mr. Parnell. The famine 
had brought its crop of misery, and, while the charitable were seek- 
ing to relieve the distress, many of the landlords were turning 
adrift their tenants for non-payment of rents. The Irish party 



VICTORIA ' 5 GREA T MINISTERS 4 1 7 

brought in a Bill for the Suspension of Evictions, which the gov- 
ernment replaced by a similar one for Compensation for Disturb- 
ance. This was passed with a large majority by the Commons, 
but was rejected by the Lords, and Ireland was left to face its 
misery without relief. 

The state of Ireland at that moment was too critical to be 
dealt with in this manner. The rejection of the Compensation for 
Disturbance Bill was, to the peasantry whom it had been intended 
to protect, a message of despair, and it was followed by the usual 
symptom of despair in Ireland, an outbreak of agrarian crime. On 
the one hand over 17,000 persons were evicted ; on the other there 
was a dreadful crop of murders and outrages. The Land League 
sought to do what Parliament did not ; but in doing so it came in 
contact with the law. Moreover, the revolution— for revolution it 
seemed to be— grew too formidable for its control , the utmost it 
succeeded in doing was in some sense to ride without directing 

the storm. 

To put down the disturbances a Coercion Bill was carried 
through Parliament in 1881, despite a very vigorous and protracted 
resistance by Parnell and his followers. As a counterweight to it 
and as a measure of conciliation, Gladstone introduced a Land 
Bill. It was a sweeping measure of reform, its dominant feature 
being the principle of the State intervening between landlord and 
tenant and fixing the amount of rent to be paid. Yet it did not 
put an end to the agitation. Crime and outrage continued, and a 
terrible event which took place soon afterward, the murder of Lord 
Cavendish, the new Secretary for Ireland, and his under-Secretary, 
Mr. Burke, in Phoenix Park, Dublin, brought back ceercion into the 

field. 

While Ireland was thus disturbed, Gladstone found himself 
forced into the arena formerly occupied by Beaconsfield, that of 
Eastern affairs. Great Britain had assumed the control of the Suez 
Canal, and made this an excuse for meddling with the government 
of Egypt. The result was the insurrection of Arabi Pasha, and a 



4 i8 VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 

war Into which Gladstone was reluctantly forced. Then came the 
outbreak of the Mahdi in the Soudan, the murder of General 
Gordon in Khartum, and conflicts in that quarter which lasted for 
years. In South Africa the Boers defeated the British at Majuba 
Hill, and Gladstone, who had no sympathy with the effort to conquer 
the Transvaal, withdrew the British forces, leaving the Boers 
masters of the situation. It would have been well for Great Britain 
if this pacific policy had been sustained till the end of the century. 

THE QUEEN SUMMONS LORD SALISBURY 

This disaster weakened the administration. Parnell and his 
followers joined hands with the Tories and continued their attacks. 
The result was a defeat to the government, in May, 1885. Glad- 
stone at once withdrew, and, his old antagonist having passed from 
the field of action, the Marquis of Salisbury was called upon by the 
Queen to form a new Ministry. It proved but a brief one. Owing 
its existence to Irish votes, it fell as soon as Parnell led his followers 
away from their unnatural alliance with the Tories, and Gladstone 
was again sent for by the Queen. On February 11, 1886, he 
became Prime Minister for the third time. 

During the brief interval his opinions had suffered a great 
revolution. He no longer thought that Ireland had all it could 
justly demand*. He returned to power as an advocate of a most 
radical measure, that of Home Rule for Ireland, a restoration of 
that separate Parliament which it had lost in 1800. He also had a 
scheme to buy out the Irish landlords and establish a peasant 
proprietary by State aid. His new views were revolutionary in 
character, but he did not hesitate — he never hesitated to do what 
his conscience told him was right. On April 8, 1886, he introduced 
to Parliament his Home Rule Bill. 

The scene that afternoon was one of the most remarkable in 
Parliamentary history. Never before was such interest manifested 
in a debate by either the public or the members of the House. In 
order to secure their places, members arrived at St. Stephen's at 



VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 419 

six o'clock in the morning, and spent the day on the premises ; and a 
thing quite unprecedented, members who could not find places on 
the benches filled up the floor of the House with rows of chairs. 
The strangers', diplomats', peers' and ladies' galleries were filled to 
overflowing. Men begged even to be admitted to the ventilating- 
passages beneath the floor of the Chamber, that they might in 
some sense be witnesses of the greatest feat in the lifetime of an 
illustrious old man of eighty. Around Palace Yard an enormous 
crowd surged, waiting to give the veteran a welcome as he drove up 
from Downing Street. 

Mr. Gladstone arrived in the House, pale and still panting from 
the excitement of his reception in the streets. As he sat their the 
entire liberal party — with the exception of Lord Hartington, Sir 
Henry James, Mr. Chamberlain and Sir George Trevelyan — and 
the Nationalist members, by a spontaneous impulse sprang to their 
feet and cheered him again and again. The speech which he 
delivered was in every way worthy of the occasion. It expounded, 
with marvelous lucidity and a noble eloquence, a tremendous scheme 
of constructive legislation — the re-establishment of a legislature in 
Ireland, but one subordinate to the Imperial Parliament, and hedged 
round with every safeguard which could protect the unity of the 
Empire. It took three hours in delivery, and was listened to 
throughout with the utmost attention on every side of the House. 
At its close all parties united in a tribute of admiration for the 
genius which had astonished them with such an exhibition of its 
powers. 

Yet it is one thing to cheer an orator, another thing to vote 
for a revolution. The Bill was defeated — as it was almost sure to 
be. Mr. Gladstone at once dissolved Parliament and appealed to 
the country in a new election, with the result that he was decisively 
defeated. His bold declaration that the contest was one between 
the classes and the masses turned the aristocracy against him, while 
he had again roused the bitter hatred of his opponents. 



420 VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 

But the " Grand Old Man " bided his time. The new Salisbury 
ministry was one of coercion carried to the extreme in Ireland, 
wholesale eviction, arrest of members of Parliament, suppression 
of public meetings by force of arms, and other measures of violence 
which in the end wearied the British public and doubled the sup- 
port of Home Rule. In 1892 Mr. Gladstone returned to power 
with a majority of more than thirty Home Rulers in his support. 

THE END OF A GREAT CAREER 

It was one of the greatest efforts in the career of the old parlia- 
mentary hero when he brought his new Home Rule Bill before 
the House. Never in his young days had he worked more earn- 
estly and incessantly. He disarmed even his bitterest enemies, 
none of whom now dreamed of treating him with disrespect. Mr. 
Balfour spoke of the delight and fascination with which even his 
opponents watched his leading of the House and listened to his 
unsurpassed eloquence. Old age had come to clothe with its pathos, 
as well as with its majesty, the white-haired, heroic figure. The 
event proved one of the greatest triumphs of his life. The Bill 
passed with a majority of thirty-four. That it would pass in the 
House of Lords no one looked for. It was defeated there by a 
majority of 378 out of 460. 

With this great event Gladstone's public career came to an 
end. The burden had grown too heavy for his reduced strength. 
In March, 1894, to the consternation of his party, he announced 
his intention of retiring from public life. The Queen offered, as 
she had done once before, to raise him to the peerage as an earl, 
but he declined the proffer. His own plain name was a title higher 
than that of any earldom in the kingdom. 

On May 19, 1898, William Ewart Gladstone laid down the 
bufden of his life as he had already done that of labor. The 
greatest and noblest figure in legislative life of the nineteenth cen- 
tury had passed away from earth. 



VICTORIA ' 5 GREA T MINISTERS 42 1 

Gladstone was succeeded in the Ministry by the Earl of Rose- 
bery, who had been Foreign Secretary in his recent administration. 
The new Minister's term of office was a brief one, his party being 
defeated at the general election in June, 1895. He retired from 
the Premiership, and Lord Salisbury became for a third time Prime 
Minister of England, at the head of a Liberal-Unionist and Con- 
servative Cabinet. For the time the question of Home Rule for 
Ireland was at an end. 

The Salisbury administration continued during the remainder 
of the Queen's life. It was marked by a series of foreign compli- 
cations which several times brought the government to the verge 
of war. This was averted by the conciliatory attitude of the 
administration — no doubt influenced in this by the wishes of the 
Queen. Turkish massacres in Armenia almost plunged Europe 
into war. The part taken by the United States in the boundary 
question between British Guiana and Venezuela threatened hostili- 
ties between the two great Anglo-Saxon countries. The Jameson 
raid into the Transvaal led to critical relations between the British 
and the Boers. The Cretan insurrection and the war in Greece 
tested strongly the peaceful policy of Salisbury's cabinet. 

All this passed away without an outbreak, the re-conquest of 
the Soudan being the only warlike demonstration in the early years 
of the administration. Near its end, however, a threatening contest 
broke out, the war of conquest in South Africa, led to, as is widely 
believed, less through a conviction of any just claim of Great 
Britain to sovereignty over the Boer republics than through a desire 
to possess the rich gold mines of the Transvaal. However this be, 
the British entered this war in the autumn of 1899 with a jaunty 
confidence that they could bring it to an end in a campaign of a 
month or two and establish their dominion over all Southeastern 
Africa. Nothing need be said here about the very serious error 
they made in this. The twentieth century dawned, the Queen 
passed away, and the Boers were still unsubdued, though Great 
Britain had spent hundreds of millions of dollars and lost many 



422 VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 

thousands of her valiant sons. And, furthermore, the sympathy of 
the whole outer world was with the gallant Boers, not with their 
invaders. 

A TERRIBLE LOAD FOR THE AGED SOVEREIGN 

Thus unhappily closed the political record of the Queen's 
reign. Nothing in her whole life bore more heavily on her than 
this dreadful contest — now not with savage or barbarous peoples, 
but with European colonists. The weight of disaster to her country 
and death to her subjects was a terrible load for the aged Sovereign 
to bear, and there can be no doubt that it had much to do with 
bringing her to the grave. It is said that tears were rarely absent 
from her eyes when the thought of this conflict came to her, and it 
is doubtful if the vision of its horrors often left her mind. Her 
grief and dismay are said to have been added to by interviews with 
Lord Roberts, Lord Salisbury, and Mr. Chamberlain, in which she 
learned from them some disquieting truths, kept from the public, 
about the serious state of affairs in South Africa. William I. Stead, 
in a dispatch to the New York Journal, said : " The Boer war has 
killed the Queen." So it may be correct to affirm that among the 
victims of the British-Boer war was the revered Queen of the 
British Kingdom. 

Queen Victoria took only one open political action during this 
conflict, her visit to Ireland, which was memorable for the loyal 
reception with which she was honored. The sympathies of the 
Irish people generally were with the South African republics in 
their resolute struggle to preserve their independence, but they did 
not hold the aged Queen in any sense responsible for this war, and 
she was everywhere greeted with chivalrous respect. Every imagin- 
able danger was pointed out and impressed upon the Queen if she 
ventured upon the journey, but she would not abandon it, and its 
result fully justified her confidence in the Irish people. Then there 
came a sudden revulsion of feeling in England, and for a time the 
shamrock was the most popular emblem seen in the streets of 
London. 



VICTORIA'S GREAT MINISTERS 425 

But it would not be wise to imagine that the aspirations of 
Ireland for Home Rule were charmed away by the magic of a royal 
visit. The people of Green Erin showed their native courtesy in 
the reception of the Queen, but their national aspirations remained 
the same as before. 

THE QUEEN'S FAIRNESS 

To return to the subject of the Queen's Ministers, it has 
often been said that she had a personal liking for this Prime Min- 
ister and a personal disinclination for the manners of some other 
Prime Minister. One statesman was said, by gossiping report, to 
have been rather too argumentative and dogmatic for the Queen, 
and another to be too subservient and anxious to please. A cer- 
tain Liberal Minister was believed to have won favorable notice 
from her Majesty when he first received office because he could 
speak German perfectly well, and a rising Conservative statesman 
was described as having made himself welcome to her by his easy 
and luminous exposition of complex and difficult subjects. But it 
is doubtful if the Queen liked or disliked any statesman because 
he was a Liberal or because he was a Tory. She rather seems to 
have accepted in the best faith every Ministry recommended to her 
by the existing majority of the House of Commons, and made it 
her task to assist her Ministers to the utmost of her power in carry- 
ing on the business of the country during their time of office. Not 
even the most extreme Radical has charged Queen Victoria with 
acting unfairly in the business of government, or seeking to 
exclude a rising public man from her councils on the ground that 
his political opinions were too Democratic to suit her ideas of 
statesmanship. 

We have seen all sorts of monarchs in Europe, even during 
the lifetime of the present generation. We have seen sovereigns 
who wanted to arrange the whole work of government " out of 
their own heads," as the children say, and we have seen monarchs 
who cared little how or by whom the political business of the State 



426 



VICTORIAS GREAT MINISTERS 



was carried on so long as their Ministers left them to the enjoy- 
ment of life after their own fashion and did not trouble them about 
wearisome legislation. Queen Victoria was not of this kind. She 
never neglected her duties as head of the State, and she never 
tried to make her sovereign will prevail over the authority repre- 
sented by the House of Commons. No one who understands and 
accepts the theory of a constitutional monarchy can deny to her 
the merit of having, throughout her long reign, given to the world 
the best living illustration it has yet had of the part which the 
sovereign ought to play in a constitutional monarchy and a free 
country. 



CHAPTER XXIV 

The Industrial and Commercial Development 

of Great Britain 

INDUSTRY in the past centuries was a strikingly different thing 
from what it has been in the recent period. For a century it 

has been passing through a great process of evolution, which 
has by no means reached its culmination, and whose final outcome 
no man can safely predict. 

For a long period during the medieval and the subsequent cen- 
turies industry existed in a stable condition, or one whose changes 
were few and none of them revolutionary. Manufacture was in a 
large sense individual. The great hive of industry known as a fac- 
tory did not exist, workshops being small and every expert mechanic 
able to conduct business as a master. Employees were mainly 
apprentices, each of whom expected to become a master mechanic, 
or, if he chose to work for a master, did so with an independence 
that no longer exists. The workshop was usually a portion of the 
dwelling, where the master worked with his apprentices, teaching 
them the whole art and mystery of his craft, and giving them knowl- 
edge of a complete trade, not of a minor portion of one, as in our 
day. 

The trade-union had its prototype in the gild. But this was 
in no sense a combination of labor for protection against capital, 
but of master workmen to protect their calling from being swamped 
by invasion from without. In truth, when we go back into the past 
centuries, it is to find ourselves in another world of labor, radically 
different from that which surrounds us to-day. 

It was the steam-engine that precipitated the revolution in 

industry. This great invention rendered possible labor-saving 

427 



428 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 

machinery. From working directly upon the material, men began 
to work indirectly through the medium of machines. As a result, 
the old household industries rapidly disappeared. Engines and 
machines needed special buildings to contain them and large sums 
of money to purchase them, the separation of capital and labor 
began, and the nineteenth century opened with the factory system 
fully launched upon the world. 

Great Britain, small as it was, had grown, by the opening of the 
nineteenth century, to be the leading power in Europe. Its indus- 
tries, its commerce, its enterprise were expanding enormously, and 
it was becoming the great workshop and the chief distributor of the 
world. The raw material of the nations flowed through its ports, 
the finished products of mankind poured from its looms, London 
became the great money center of the world, and the industrious 
and enterprising islanders grew rich and prosperous, while few steps 
of progress and enterprise showed themselves in any of the nations 
of the continent. 

VAST ACCUMULATIONS OF CAPITAL 

The century of Victoria's reign was one of vast accumulations 
of capital in single hands or under the control of companies, the 
concentration of labor in factories and workshops, the extraordinary 
development of labor-saving machines, the growth of monopolies on 
the one hand and of labor unions on the other, the revolt of labor 
against the tyranny of capital, the battle for shorter hours and 
higher washes, the coming of woman into the labor field as a rival of 
man, the development of economic theories and industrial organiza- 
tions, and in still other ways the growth of a state of affairs in the 
world of industry that had no counterpart in the past. 

In past times wealth was largely accumulated in the hands of 
the nobility, who had no thought of using it productively. Such of 
it as lay under the control of the commonalty was applied mainly 
for commercial purposes and in usury, and comparatively little was 
used in manufacture. This state of affairs was brought somewhat 
suddenly to an end by the inventions above mentioned. Capital 



THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 429 

became largely diverted to purposes of manufacture, wealth grew 
rapidly as a result of the new methods of production, the making of 
articles cheaply required costly plants in buildings and machinery, 
which put production beyond the reach of the ordinary artisan, the 
old individuality in labor disappeared, the number of employers 
largely diminished and that of employees increased, and the medi- 
eval gild vanished, the workmen finding themselves exposed to a 
state of affairs unlike that for which their old organizations were 
devised. 

A radically new condition of industrial affairs had come, and 
the working-class was not prepared to meet it. Everywhere the 
employers became supreme, and the men were at their mercy. 
Labor was dismayed. Its unions lost their industrial character and 
resumed their original form of purely benevolent associations. Such 
was the state of affairs in the early years of the nineteenth century. 
Industry was in a stage of transition, and inevitably suffered from 
the change. It was only at a later date that the idea of mutual aid 
in industry revived, and the trade union — a new form of association 
adapted to the new situation — arose as the lineal successor of the 
old society of artisans. 

Great Britain did not content herself with going abroad for the 
materials of her active industries. She dug her way into the bowels 
of the earth, tore from the rocks its treasures of coal and iron, and 
thus obtained the necessary fuel for her furnaces and metal for her 
machines. The whole island resounded with the ringing of ham- 
mers and rattle of wheels, goods were produced very far beyond 
the capacity of the island for their consumption, and the vast surplus 
was sent abroad to all quarters of the earth, to clothe savages in far- 
off regions, and to furnish articles of use and luxury to the most 
enlightened of the nations. To the ship as a carrier was soon added 
the locomotive and its cars, conveying these products inland with 
unprecedented speed from a thousand ports. And from America 
came the parallel discovery of the steamship, signaling the close of 

the long centuries of dominion of the sail. 

24 



43© THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 

Years went on, and still the power and prestige of Great Britain 
grew, still its industry and commerce spread and expanded, still its 
colonies increased in population and new lands were added to the 
sum, until the island empire stood foremost in industry and enter- 
prise among the nations of the world, and its people reached the 
summit of their prosperity. From this lofty elevation was to come, 
in the later years of the century, a slow but inevitable decline, as the 
United States and the leading European nations developed in indus- 
try, and rivals to the productive and commercial supremacy of the 
British islanders began to arise in various quarters of the earth. 

THE FACTORY SYSTEM BROUGHT MISERY 

It cannot be said that the industrial prosperity of Great Britain, 
while of advantage to her people as a whole, was necessarily so to 
individuals. While one portion of the nation amassed enormous 
wealth, the bulk of the nation sank into the deepest poverty. The 
factory system brought with it oppression and misery which it would 
need a century of industrial revolt to overcome. The costly wars, 
the crushing taxation, the oppressive Corn Laws, which forbade the 
importation of foreign corn, the extravagant expenses of the court 
and salaries of officials, all conspired to depress the people. Manu- 
facturies fell into the hands of the few, and a vast number of artisans 
were forced to live from hand to mouth, and to labor for lone hours 

7 o 

on pinching wages. Estates were similarly accumulated in the hands 
of the few, and the small land-owner and trader tended to disappear. 
Everything was taxed to the utmost it would bear, while government 
remained blind to the needs and sufferings of the people and made 
no effort to decrease the prevailing misery. 

Thus it came about that the era of Great Britain's highest pros- 
perity and supremacy as a world power was the one of greatest 
industrial oppression and misery at home — a period marked by 
rebellious uprisings among the people, which were repressed with 
cruel and bloody severity. It was a period of industrial transition, 
in which the people suffered deeply and the seeds of discontent and 



THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 43 1 

revolt were widely sown. This was the condition of industrial affairs 
when Victoria came to the throne. The era of her reign was largely 
devoted to its amelioration, and by its close the working-classes 
had won an assured position, and the old-time suffering and discon- 
tent were largely overcome. Want and misery existed still, abun- 
dance of them, but not among the members of the trades-unions — 
rather in that helpless and hopeless stratum of the population whose 
troubles have so far proved almost impossible to reach, much less to 
cure. 

If we look back a few years into the past, it is to find the com- 
mercial superiority of England so overwhelming that no other 
nation came into comparison with it. Of the goods exported from 
all foreign countries, nearly one-half came to England. The exports 
of England, the product of her multitudinous workshops, were 
equal to one-third of those of all the rest of the world. Of the 
seventy million spindles employed in the production of cotton 
fabrics, forty million belonged to the people of the British islands. 
Woolen and linen fabrics, coal, iron, machinery, and many kinds of 
manufactured goods were produced in immense quantities and sup- 
plied to mankind throughout the world. 

Robert Mackenzie, in his notable work, "The Nineteenth Cen- 
tury," succinctly indicates the earlier state of affairs, as a quotation 
from his pages will clearly show : 

" England was not the birthplace of the industries which have 
attained upon her soil a maturity so splendid. Calicoes were im- 
ported from India long before they could be made in England. Silk- 
weaving was taught us by the Italians and French. The Flemings 
brought us our fine woolen trade. The Venetians showed us how 
to make glass. France and Holland were before us in paper-making, 
and a German erected our first paper-mill. Cotton-printing came to 
us from France. Although we had long made coarse linens, we 
were indebted for the finer varieties to Germany and Belgium. Our 
cloth was sent to Holland to be bleached and dyed. The Dutch 
caught our fish for us down to the end of the eighteenth century. A 



432 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 

Dutchman began our potteries. The Danes and Genoese built ships 
for us. The Dutch were our masters in engineering, and showed us 
how to erect the wind and water mills which presided over the lowly 
dawn of our manufacturing system. Tuscany made our straw hats. 
Much of our salt and most of our earthenware came from the Conti- 
nent. Till nearly the middle of the last [the eighteenth] century we 
imported two thirds of the iron which we used. The use of coal for 
smelting was then only beginning, and the infancy of our gigantic 
iron-trade was watched with hostile eyes by a people who saw that 
it devoured the wood which they needed for fuel. The industrial 
genius of England awoke late, but at one stride it distanced all com- 
petitors. 

" Until long after the middle of the eighteenth century commerce 
was strangled by the impossibility of conveying goods from one 
part of the country to another. While the English, with ill-directed 
heroism, expended life and treasure' in the worthless strifes of the 
Continent, they were almost without roads at home. In all Europe 
there were no roads worse than theirs. It cost forty shillings to 
transport a ton of coals from Liverpool to Manchester. The food 
of London was for the most part carried on pack-horses. Often the 
large towns endured famine while the farmers at no great distance 
could find no market for their meat and grain. The peasant raised 
his own food. He grew his own flax or wool ; his wife or daughters 
spun it, and a neighbor wove it into cloth. Commerce was impos- 
sible until men could find the means of transporting goods from 
the place where they were produced to the place where there were 
people willing to make use of them." 

England's preeminence in manufacture 

In truth, England's preeminence in manufacture and commerce 
dates no further back than the beginning of the French Revolution, 
of which it was in some measure the product, and its supreme era 
of development lay within the Victorian reign. One does not need 
to go far back to find the origin of the cotton trade, that bulwark of 




m ,,,• , QUEEN VICTORIA DISTRIBUTING niRT<= 



THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 435 

England's supremacy. In 1785 the British kingdom exported only 
,£800,000 worth of cotton goods, and less than £"14,000,000 worth 
of goods of all kinds. And for many years previous her advance 
had been very slow. But before the eighteenth century ended the 
steam-engine had been invented, spinning and weaving machines 
were in existence, and Eli Whitney's cotton-gin was at work in the 
American fields, setting free with new rapidity the valuable cotton 
fiber. Cheap cotton gave England her great opportunity. It 
began to pour into her ports. By 1801 her imports of cotton 
reached 21,000,000 pounds ; in 1830, 200,000,000 pounds ; in 1885, 
1,700,000,000 pounds. In 1900 the cotton imports had made no 
further advance, and the empire of the loom was spreading to other 
lands. 

Yet there was a check to the progress which cheap cotton, the 
steam-engine, the spinning machine, and, subsequently, the locomo- 
tive and the steamship, began to bring to the British nation. This 
was the system of protection, the import duties of which the Corn 
Law was the keystone. The repeal of this law, after Victoria came 
to the throne, gave an immense impetus to the industries of Great 
Britain. After the Corn Law fell, the whole protective system 
swiftly followed. In 1842 there were 1200 articles on which duty 
was levied in British ports. A few years later there were only 
twelve — and they were left only for revenue. With this the artificial 
regulation of prices came to an end, and the great natural law of 
supply and demand was given the freest and fullest liberty. The 
British islands had no need of protective duties. No nation on the 
earth had equal facilities for production or could place goods on the 
market at lower prices. No nation had such facilities for distribu- 
tion as arose from Britain's rapidly growing commercial fleet. Pro- 
tection, to that country, was a brake upon the wheels of progress. 
When it was lifted, these flew round with vastly accelerated speed. 

In 1846 the whole foreign commerce of the United Kingdom — 
imports and exports combined — was only £"134,000,000 — five times 
that of 1785, but far less than it was destined to become. In 



436 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 

1890 it had reached the enormous total of ,£748,000,000. In 1900 
it had grown to about ^800,000,000, or $4,000,000,000 in American 
currency ; the extraordinary enterprise of the island empire had 
carried her ships to all seas, and made her the commercial emporium 
of the world. Not only to her own colonies, but to all lands, sailed 
her enormous fleet of merchantmen, gathering the products of the 
earth, to be consumed at home or distributed again to the nations 
of Europe and America. She had assumed the position of the pur- 
veyor and carrier for mankind. This was not all. Great Britain 
was in a large measure the producer for mankind. Manufacturing 
enterprise and industry had increased immensely on her soil, and 
countless factories, forges, and other workshops turned out finished 
o-oods with a speed and profusion undreamed of before. Machines 
for spinning, weaving, iron-working, and a thousand other processes 
were in use on all parts of Britain's soil, and by their aid one of the 
greatest steps of progress in the whole history of mankind had 
taken place — the grand nineteenth century revolution in production, 
which was matched only by the equally grand revolution in commer- 
cial distribution. 

INVENTIVE PROGRESS DURING VICTORIA'S REIGN 

To glance rapidly at some of the steps of inventive progress 
during Victoria's reign we may quote from Sir Edwin Arnold. 
While a small child, he was taken by his nurse to see the troops in 
the street when Victoria was proclaimed Queen, and on his way 
home he saw something quite new — a man selling lucifer matches 
in the street, and drawing them through a folded piece of sand-paper 
to show how they would burst into flame. 

"On that morning," says Sir Edwin, "as on all mornings before, 
I had, probably, on awakening from sleep, witnessed my nurse kin- 
dling the fire or lighting the dressing candles with an old-fashioned 
flint and steel, laboriously striking the wayward sparks into a smutty 
tinder, and then applying to a traveling fringe of fire the point of a 
splinter of wood dipped into brimstone, bundles of which used to be 



THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 437 

sold by beggars in the highways. So did we procure the sacred 
element when this reign began ; little, if at all, advanced beyond the 
fire-stick of the savage. 

''From that trivial Coronation Day match the thought passes 
naturally to very much greater things. I do not even know whether 
the lucifer can be set down as a British discovery ; yet of what won- 
derful new times, of what superb mental and mechanical expansions, 
of what amazing" revelations in science and advances in arts, trades, 
commerce, geographical research, imperial possessions, uprises in 
political liberty, education and daily life ; of what stirring events 
abroad, what augmentation of population and national wealth at 
home, and what unforeseen but epoch-making occurrences generally, 
was that Coronation match to become the humble harbinger ! One 
needs, no doubt, to strain the memory in order to force it back into 
realizing all the strange backwardness of those days. Let me, never- 
theless, make an endeavor towards this by means of a sharp contrast 
or two of facts and figures. 

"The revenue of the United Kingdom — to-day exceeding one 
hundred millions — stood in 1837 at forty-seven millions only. There 
was no railway open between Liverpool and Birmingham in that 
England which now has 21,000 miles of iron roads, and vou still went 
down to the Black wall Docks in carriages drawn by a rope. Not a 
single electric wire spanned the air, or burrowed through the earth, 
or crept under the sea. Lord Beaconsfield, whose ' Primrose Day ' 
is now a national festival, had not made his maiden speech. The 
Sirius and the Great Western steamers — earliest of their kind — had 
yet to cross the Atlantic ; Grace Darling had not, by her sweet story 
of heroism, started our noble life-boat system, the glory of British 
coasts ; India was still reached only by the long Cape route, for 
Wag-horn did not ventilate his overland scheme in the Jerusalem 
Coffee House until October 12, 1838. 

"We had practically little use as yet of railroads, telegraph 
wires, and of steam navigation, and were only beginning to get the 
new machine of our popular representative institutions into order at 



438 THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 

the time when those Coronation trumpets sounded. The Reform 
Act was but five years old ; the criminal law was still fierce and 
bloody ; the wealth of even such a family as Mr. Gladstone's had 
been derived without public scruples from the labor and sale of 
slaves ; when softly and auspiciously — into this epoch, the descrip- 
tion of which must smack of barbarism to the young, as we recall it 
— entered the gracious figure of the girl Queen, bringing in her 
hand the magic wand of virtue, and, as we see to-day, those hidden 
national benedictions which accompany its eternal potency. For, 
indeed, our Queen has borne an immense personal part in molding 
her age, if that age has also reflected back upon her name and her 
greatness a luster beyond the glory of all other reigns." 

A quotation from the same writer, in reference to the progress 
in postal facilities, a direct outgrowth of the developments above 
described, will not be without interest, although we have referred to 
this subject elsewhere : 

" Rowland Hill published his pamphlet on ' Postal Reform ' in 
1837. Thus one may affirm that it was Queen Victoria who brought 
the penny post with her. In 1839 the charge for letters inside Lon- 
don was timidly lowered to a penny. In 1840 this boon was tenta- 
tively extended to the United Kingdom. By 1884 the penny stamp, 
in which the wiseacres of the old post office utterly disbelieved, had 
been issued to the amazing total of thirty-one billions, three hundred 
millions ! The number of letters posted yearly at the date of her 
Majesty's accession was 80,000,000 ; the number to-day is rapidly 
approaching two thousand millions ! Imagine what this signifies in 
closer and more constant intercourse of home with home, heart with 
heart, mind with mind, locality with locality, friend with friend, parent 
with child, lover with sweetheart, customer with dealer. It is all Vic- 
torian ! In 1836 a letter took ten hours to go from Charing Cross 
to Hampstead, and might cost one shilling and eight pence." 

One further result of the immense progress in industry and 
commerce made by Great Britain during the Victorian era may be 
here given. While the producing and trading classes won vast 



THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 439 

wealth, the working-classes shared the advantages of the new con- 
ditions. During the reign of the Queen they passed from a posi- 
tion of oppression to one of power. From being the victims of a 
system of crushing taxation, they emerged into an economic system 
in which the payment of taxes was largely optional. 

It was estimated, about the close of the Napoleonic wars, that 
a workman paid nearly eleven pounds annually out of his small 
income to sustain the government and to protect the home indus- 
tries. In the case of poorly paid workmen, such as the handloom 
weaver, this absorbed nearly one-half his income. Thirty years 
later Mr. Cobden estimated that of every pound sterling expended 
by the working-classes on the great staples of consumption, from 
4s. to 1 6s. went to the government. 

In the succeeding years these taxes on imported goods — upon 
which the British workingman so largely depends — have practically 
disappeared. Only two articles pay heavily, spirits and tobacco, and 
it is at the option of the artisan whether or not he consumes and 
pays taxes on these detrimental luxuries. The only excise tax 
remaining on necessary articles of consumption is that on tea, and 
this averages less than three shillings annually for each of the popu- 
lation. So, for the very moderate exaction of less than one penny 
per week, any British workingman who chooses may enjoy the 
advantages of citizenship. This is certainly a vast advance from 
his condition when Victoria came to the throne, and when nearly 
one-half of his very moderate wages went to the government. 



CHAPTER XXIX 

Livingstone and Stanley, the Famous 
Travelers 

WHEN Queen Victoria came to the throne, comparatively 
little was known of the surface of the earth, compared 
with what had been learned at the end of her reign. 
Two of the great colonial provinces of her widespread Kingdom, 
Canada and Australia, were settled only in their border-lands, and 
their vast interiors remained to be explored. And the .great conti- 
nent of Africa, over so much of which now floats England's flag, 
was then through nearly all its mighty extent a land unknown. 
The discovery of the world has been in great part made during" 
Victoria's reign, and very largely by subjects of her throne. And 
among the travelers of British birth who have done so much to 
make her reign glorious, two especially may be named, the most 
famous explorers of the nineteenth century, David Livingstone and 
Henry M. Stanley, around whose careers the whole story of African 
exploration revolves. 

GOOD WORK AND UNFLAGGING ENTERPRISE 

It was in 1840, three years after Victoria became Queen, that 

David Livingstone, a man of Scotch birth, born to good work and 

unflagging enterprise, left England to devote his life to missionary 

labor in Africa. Landing at Port Natal, he became associated with 

the noted missionary, Rev. Robert Moffat — whose daughter he 

afterwards married — and for years he labored earnestly among the 

pagan natives, studying their languages, habits, and religious 

beliefs, and becoming one of the most devoted and successful of 

their moral teachers. 
440 



LIVINGSTONE AND SIANLEY 441 

His experience in missionary work convinced him that success 
in this field of duty was not to be measured by the tale of con- 
versions — of doubtful character — which could be sent home-every 
year, but that the proper work for the enterprising white man was 
that of pioneer research. He could best employ himself in opening 
up and exploring new fields of labor, and might safely leave to native 
agents the duty of working these out in detail. 

This theory he first put into effect in 1849, m which year he set 
out on a journey into the unknown land to the north, the goal of 
his enterprise being Lake Ngami, on which no white man's eyes 
had ever fallen. In company with two English sportsmen, Mr. 
Oswell and Mr. Murray, he traversed the great and bleak Kalahari 
Desert, — which he was the first to describe in detail, — and on the 1st 
of August the travelers were gladdened by the sight of the previ- 
ously unknown liquid plain, the most southerly of the great African 



A BOLD AND UNDAUNTED EXPLORER 

Two hundred miles beyond this body of water lived' a noted 
chief named Sebituane, the chief of the Makololo tribe, whose resi- 
dence Livingstone sought to reach the following year, bringing with 
him on this journey his wife and children. But fever seized the 
children and he was obliged to stop at the shores of the lake. 
Nothing daunted by this failure, he set out again in 1851, once 
more accompanied by his family, and with his former companion, 
Mr. Oswell, his purpose being to settle among the Makololos and 
seek to convert to Christianity their great chief. He succeeded in 
reaching the tribe, but the death of Sebituane, shortly after his 
arrival, disarranged his plans, and he was obliged to return. But 
before doing so he and Mr. Oswell made an exploration of several 
hundred miles to the northeast, their journey ending at the Zambesi, 
the great river of South Africa, which he here found flowing in a 
broad and noble current through the centre of the continent. 

The subsequent travels of Livingstone were performed more 
for purposes of exploration than for religious labors, though to the 



442 LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 

end he considered himself a missionary pioneer. Sending his 
family to England, he left Capetown in June, 1852, reached the 
country of the Makololos in May, 1853, and from there started up 
the Zambesi on a long and dangerous journey through unknown 
lands, which ended a year later at the Portuguese town of St. Paul 
de Loanda, on the Atlantic coast. Livingstone was half worn out 
by fever, dysentery, and semi-starvation ; but he had a greater fever 
within him than that of the body, — the mental fever for explora- 
tion, — and back again into the centre of the land he plunged, not 
resting until, two years later, he reached a Portuguese town at the 
mouth of the Zambesi, on the Pacific coast. For the first time in 
history a white man had crossed the great African continent. 

THE GREAT FALLS OF ZAMBESI 

The most interesting discovery made in this remarkable jour- 
ney was that of the great falls of the Zambesi, a cataract without 
a rival for grandeur upon the earth, except the still mightier one of 
the Niagara. An immense cliff or fissure in the earth cuts directly 
across the channel of the river, whose waters pour headlong down- 
ward in an enormous flood into the cavernous abyss, whence "the 
smoke of its torrent ascendeth forever." There seems here to 
have been at one time a vast lake, walled in by a ring of moun- 
tains, which was drained when some great convulsion of nature 
split the earth asunder across its bed. Livingstone testified his 
loyalty to the gracious lady who filled England's throne by giving 
her name to this grand wonder of nature, which since that time has 
been known as the Victoria Falls. 

Livingstone returned to England in the latter part of 1855, 
and was received with the highest enthusiasm, being welcomed as 
the first to break through that pall of darkness which had so long 
enveloped the interior of Africa. The Royal Geographical Society 
had already conferred upon him its highest token of honor, its gold 
medal, and now honors and compliments were showered upon him 
until the modest traveler was overwhelmed with the warmth of his 




QUEEN VICTORIA AND THE PRINCE OF WALES 
Now Edward VII. 




THEIR QUEEN AND EMPRESS 
Her Majesty listening to a Despatch describing the elation of the .roups at the services they had 

rendered the. Queen. 



LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 445 

reception. Not least among those who were deeply interested in 
his work was the royal lady whose name he had given to his greatest 
discovery. 

The desire to complete his work was strong upon him, and 
after publishing an account of his travels, in a work of modest sim- 
plicity, he returned to Africa, reaching the mouth of the Zambesi 
in May, 1858. In 1859, hi's new career of discovery began in an 
exploration of the Shire, a northern affluent of the Zambesi, up 
which he journeyed to the great Lake Nyassa, another capital dis- 
covery. For several years he was engaged in exploring the sur- 
rounding region and furthering the interests of missionary enter- 
prise among the natives. In one of his journeys his wife, who was 
his companion during this period of his travels died, and in 1864 
he returned home, worn out with his extraordinary labors in new 
lands and desiring to spend the remainder of his days in quiet and 
repose. 

But at the suggestion of Murchison, the famous geologist and 
his staunch friend, he was induced to return to Africa, one of his 
main purposes being to take steps looking to the suppression of 
the Arab slave-trade, whose horrors had long excited his deepest 
sympathies. Landing at the mouth of the Rovuma River — a 
stream he had previously explored — March 22, 1866, he started for 
the interior, rounded Lake Nyassa on the south, and set off to the 
northeast for the great Lake Tanganyika — which had meanwhile 
been discovered by Barton and Speke, in 1857. 

In this exploration Livingstone vanished from sight and knowl- 
edge, and for five years was utterly lost in the deep interior of the 
continent. From time to time vagfue intimations of his movements 
reached the world of civilization, but the question of his fate 
became so exciting a one that in 1871 Henry M. Stanley was 
dispatched, at the expense of the proprietor of the New York 
Herald, to penetrate the continent and seek to discover the long- 
lost traveler. Stanley found him at Ujiji, on the northeast shore 
of Tanganyika, on October 18, 187 1, the great explorer being 



446 LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 

then, in his words, " a ruckle of bones." Far and wide he had 
traveled through Central Africa, discovering a host of lakes and 
streams, finding many new tribes with strange habits. Among his 
notable discoveries was that of the Lualaba River — The Upper 
Cong-o — which he believed to be the headwaters of the Nile. His 
work had been enormous, and the " Dark Continent " had yielded 
to him a host of its long-hidden mysteries. Not willing yet to give 
up his work, he waited at Ujiji for men and supplies sent him by 
Stanley from the coast, and then started south for Lake Bangweolo, 
one of his former discoveries. But attacked again by his old enemy, 
dysentery, the iron frame of the great traveler at length yielded, 
and he was found, on May i, 1873, by his men, dead in his tent, 
kneeling by the side of his bed. Thus perished in prayer the 
greatest traveler in modern times. 

For more than thirty years Livingstone had dwelt in Africa, 
most of that time engaged in exploring new regions and visiting new 
peoples. His travels had covered a third of the continent, extend- 
ing from the Cape to near the equator, and from the Atlantic to 
the Indian Ocean, his work being all done leisurely and carefully, 
so that its results were of the utmost value to geographical science. 
He had also aroused a sentiment against the Arab slave-trade which 
was to give that frightful system its death blow. 

HENRY M. STANLEY GOES TO AFRICA 

The work of Livingstone stirred up an enthusiasm for African 
travel, and many adventurous explorers set out for that continent 
during his career, the greatest of whom was Henry M. Stanley, 
a man of English birth, though long a resident of the United 
States. 

While in Spain, in 1869, as a reporter of the New York 
Herald, James Gordon Bennett sent him the brief order to " find 
Livingstone." This was enough for Stanley, who proceeded at 
once to Zanzibar, organized an expedition, and did " find Living- 
stone," as above stated. 



LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 447 

Next, filled with the spirit of travel, Stanley set out to " find 
Africa," now as joint agent for the Herald and the London Daily 
Telegraph. Setting out from Zanzibar in November, 1874, he pro- 
ceeded, with a large expedition, to the Victoria Nyanza, which he cir- 
cumnavigated ; and then journeyed to Tanganyika, whose shape and 
dimensions he similarly ascertained. From these he proceeded west- 
ward to the Lualaba, the stream which Livingstone had supposed 
to be the Nile. How Stanley made his way down this great stream, 
overcoming enormous difficulties and fighting his way through 
hostile tribes, is too long a story to be told here It must suffice 
to say that he soon found that he was not upon the Nile, but upon 
a westward-flowing stream, which he eventually identified as the 
Congo — a great river whose lower course only had been previously 
known. For ten months the daring traveler pursued his journey 
down this stream, assailed by treachery and hostility, and finally 
reached the ocean, having traversed the heart of that vast " unex- 
plored territory " which long occupied so wide a space on all 
maps of -Africa. He had learned that the interior of the continent 
is a mighty plateau, watered by the Congo and its many large 
affluents and traversed in all directions by navigable waters. Politi- 
cally this remarkable journey led to the founding of the Congo 
Free State which embraces the central region of tropical Africa, 
and which Stanley was sent to establish in 1879. 

In 1887 he set out on another great journey. The conquest 
of the Egyptian Soudan by the Mahdi, had not only greatly 
diminished the territory of Egypt, but had cut off Emm Pasha 
(Dr. Edward Schnitzler), governor of the Equatorial Province of 
Egypt, leaving him stranded on the Upper Nile, near the Albert 
Nyanza. Here Emin maintained himself for years, holding his own 
against his foes, and actively engaging in natural history study. 
But, cut off as he was from civilization, threatened by the Mahdi, 
and his fate unknown in Europe, a growing anxiety concerning him 
prevailed, and Stanley was sent to find him, as he had before found 
Living-stone. 



448 LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 

Organizing a strong expedition at Zanzibar, the traveler sailed 
with his officers, soldiers and negro porters for the mouth of the 
Congo, which river he proposed to make the channel of his explora- 
tion. Setting out from this point on March 18, 1887, by June 15th 
the expedition had reached the village of Yambuya, 1,300 miles up 
the stream. Thus far he had traversed waters well known to him. 
From this point he proposed to plunge into the unknown, follow- 
ing the course of the Aruwimi, a large affluent of the Congo which 
flowed from the direction of the great Nyanza lake-basins. 

THE DIFFICULTIES BEFORE THE TRAVELER 

It was a terrible journey which the expedition now made. Be- 
fore it spread a forest of seemingly interminable extent, peopled 
mainly by the curious dwarfs who form the forest-folk of Central 
Africa. The difficulties before the traveler were enormous, but no 
hardship or danger could daunt his indomitable courage, and he 
kept resolutely on until he met the lost Emin on the shores of 
Albert Nyanza, as he had formerly met Livingstone on those of 
Lake Tanganyika. 

Three times in effect Stanley crossed that terrible forest, since 
he returned to Yambuya for the men and supplies he had left 
there and journeyed back again. Finally he made an overland 
journey to Zanzibar, on the east coast, with Emin and his followers, 
who had been rescued just in time to save them from imminent 
peril of overthrow and slaughter by the fanatical hordes of the 
Mahdi. This second crossing of the continent by Stanley ended 
December 4, 1889, having continued little short of three years. 
The discoveries made were great and valuable, and on his return 
to Europe the explorer met with a reception almost royal in its 
splendor. Among the large number of travelers who during the 
latter half of the century have contributed to make the interior of 
Africa as familiar to us as that of portions of our own continent, 
Livingstone and Stanley stand pre-eminent, the most heroic figures 
in modern travel : Livingstone as the missionary explorer, who 



LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 449 

won the love of the savage tribes and made his way by the arts of 
peace and gentleness ; Stanley as the soldierly explorer, who fought 
his way through cannibal hordes, his arts being those of force and 
daring. They and their successors have performed one of the 
greatest works of the nineteenth century, that of lifting the cloud 
which for so many centuries lay thick and dense over the whole 
extent of interior Africa. 

This does not complete the story of the exploration of Africa 
by daring British travelers during Queen Victoria's reign. While 
the two great men named were at work, Burton and Speke in 1857 
discovered a great lake, also named, after their Queen, the Victoria 
Nyanza ; and Baker in 1864 reached another large lake west of the 
Victoria, which he, with equal loyalty to the Queen, named, after 
the Prince Consort, the Albert Nyanza. In 1874-75 Lieutenant 
Cameron repeated Livingstone's feat of crossing the African con- 
tinent from sea to sea. Since that period Africa has been traversed 
from north and south, east and west, by adventurous travelers, till 
little of its soil remains unknown — and this largely by explorers 
of British birth. 

THE COLONIAL EXPANSION OF GREAT BRITAIN 

We might extend this story of travel to other lands, and 
especially to show how bold adventurers penetrated into the deserts 
of interior Australia, daring death by thirst and starvation, until 
that great island became very well known. But it seems better, in 
the concluding section of this chapter, to refer briefly to the out- 
come of the discoveries named, the vast extension of the colonial 
empire of England. This has already been referred to in our open- 
ing chapter, but to speak of it again will not be out of place. 

The colonial expansion of Great Britain since Victoria came 
to the throne has been enormous. Canada and Australia were held 
before that period, but their development since 1837 has been very 
great. This is especially the case with Australia, which was then 
simply a convict settlement, and whose great progress did not begin 

25 



45 o LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 

until after the discovery of gold in 1851. The incitement of the 
yellow metal drew the enterprising thither by thousands, until the 
population of the colony is now more than 3,000,000, and is grow- 
ing at a rapid rate, it having developed other valuable resources 
besides that of gold. Of its cities, Melbourne, the capital of Vic- 
toria, has nearly 500,000 population ; Sidney, the capital of New 
South Wales, 303,000, while there are other cities of rapid growth. 
Australia is the one important British colony obtained without a 
war. In its human beings, as in its animals generally, it stood at 
a low level of development and it was taken possession of without 
a protest from the savage inhabitants. 

The same cannot be said of the inhabitants of New Zealand, 
an important group of islands lying east of Australia, which was 
acquired by Great Britain as a colony in 1840. The Maoris, as the 
people of these islands call themselves, are of the bold and sturdy 
Polynesian race, a brave, generous, and warlike people, who gave 
their new lords and masters no end of trouble. A series of wars 
with the natives began in 1843 an d continued until 1869, since 
which time the colony has enjoyed peace. At present this colony 
is one of the most advanced politically of any region on the face 
of the earth, so far as attention to the interests of the masses of 
the people is concerned, and its laws and regulations offer a useful 
object lesson to the remainder of the world. 

So great has been the progress of Australia that, on the first 
day of the twentieth century, its several colonies united into "The 
Commonwealth of Australia," forming a federal union similar to 
the " Dominion of Canada," of earlier origin. This new Common- 
wealth embraces six States, five of them — New South Wales, Vic- 
toria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia — occupy- 
ing the island continent, while the sixth is the island of Tasmania, 
which lies some short distance to the south. As the island of New- 
foundland lies outside the Canadian " Dominion," so the New Zea- 
land group forms no part of the Australian "Commonwealth." This 
new federation in the southern seas is bound to the Mother-country 



LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 451 

rather by the ties of loyalty than by political bonds. The Governor- 
General, appointed by the British sovereign, has little more than 
advisory authority, being controlled in his actions by a Ministry 
chosen like that of England, and taking no more active part in the 
work of administration than did Queen Victoria in that of the 
home government. Politically, therefore, the new Commonwealth 
is virtually independent. 

Returning now to Africa, we may say that the work of 
discovery has been followed by a very active period of annexation, 
nearly the whole continent being divided up between various 
European nations within the last two decades of Victoria's reign. 
In this work Great Britain was, as usual, the most energetic and 
successful, possessing a position of advantage from her earlier 
colonial holdings on African soil. 

To-day the possessions and protectorates of this active king- 
dom in Africa embrace 2,587,755 square miles ; or, if we add Egypt 
or the Egyptian Soudan — practically British territory — the area 
occupied or claimed amounts to 2,987,755 square miles. France 
comes next, with claims covering 1,232,454 square miles. Germany 
lays claim to 920,920; Italy, to 278,500; Portugal, to 735,304; 
Spain, to 243,877; the Congo Free State, to 900,000; and Turkey 
(if Egypt be included), to 798,738 square miles. The parts of 
Africa unoccupied or unclaimed by Europeans are a portion of the 
Desert of Sahara, which no one wants ; Abyssinia, still independent 
though in danger of absorption ; and Liberia, a State over which 
rests the shadow of protection of the United States. 

Of the British colonial possessions in Africa, that in the south 
extends from Cape Town to Lake Tanganyika, and forms an 
immense area, replete with natural resources, and capable of 
sustaining a very large future population. On the east coast is 
another large acquisition, British East Africa, extending north to 
Abyssinia and the Soudan and west to the Congo Free State, and 
including part of the great Victoria Nyanza^ Further north a large 
slice has been carved out of Somaliland, facing on the Gulf of 



452 LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY 

Aden. In addition, there is the colony of Sierra Leone, the 
Ashantee country, and an extensive region facing on the Gulf of 
Guinea, and extending far back into the Soudan. 

AFRICA DURING VICTORIA'S REIGN 

So immense are these British holdings in Africa, nearly all 
acquired, during Victoria's reign, that a railroad traversing the whole 
length of the continent, from Cairo to Capetown, is projected and 
partly laid, nearly the whole of which will run through regions 
dominated by Great Britain. In this colonial dominion in Africa 
the Anglo-Saxon has found only one serious check in his march to 
empire, that of the district held by the Boers — descendants of old 
Dutch and French settlers on South African soil. Holding, as 
they do, the section richest in mineral wealth of the whole conti- 
nent, the famous Witwatersrand gold ledges, the British Govern- 
ment has felt a burning anxiety to round up its South Africa pos- 
sessions by the annexation of this little foreign "lodge in the 
wilderness." The result of this costly effort at annexation, and its 
seemingly fatal effect upon the Queen — against whose earnest wish 
the war is thought to have been entered upon — we have already 
told. We need say here no more than that the Boer war has 
proved the most serious check met by Great Britain in her plan of 
empire, with the exception of that met in the preceding century, in 
her effort to subdue the American colonies. But from the sin of 
this war — if sin it be — Queen Victoria's hands and soul were free. 



CHAPTER XXX 

The Progress of Science in Victoria's Era 

AMONG the many elements of progress during the fertile Vic- 
torian Era may be specially mentioned the advancement of 
science; and of the men of science whose careers particularly 
distinguished the reign of the Queen, the name of one stands pre- 
eminent, that of Charles Darwin, the originator of the world-wide 
famous theory of the Origin of Species by Natural Selection. In 
giving a review, therefore, of Victorian science we are irresistibly 
drawn to the life and work of this remarkable man, who ranks in 
the history of science with Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Kepler, and 
the few other stars of first magnitude in the scientific galaxy. 

CHARLES DARWIN THE SCIENTIST 

Charles Darwin came from good old English stock. Born 
February 12, 1809, at Shrewsbury, in Middle England, he was a 
grandson of Dr. Erasmus Darwin, one of the fathers of evolution, 
his views upon which were embodied in several works, one of them, 
a poem, "The Botanic Garden." The ardent young scientist had 
an early and great opportunity of studying the living forms of the 
earth. He left college to embark upon the Beagle, a ship of the 
Royal Navy, which was about to sail on a scientific expedition 
around the earth. In this ship he visited and explored many of the 
coast regions of South America and numerous islands of the Atlan- 
tic and Pacific oceans, gaining a vast amount of fresh and valuable 
information. His adventures and observations are embodied in a 
work of surpassing interest, his "Journal of Researches into the 
Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries visited by 
His Majesty's ship Beagle" whose multitude of various details and 

453 



454 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 

its simple and lively style of narrative give it all the attractiveness 
of a romance. 

Once more on his native soil, he found honors awaiting him. 
In 1838 he was made Secretary of the Geological Society, in 1859 
Fellow of the Royal Society, while Sir Charles Lyell and other dis- 
tinguished scientists gave him their intimate friendship. In the 
latter year he married his cousin, Miss Wedgwood. His delight- 
fully chatty "Journal" was followed by the weightier "Zoology of 
the Voyage of the Beagle, " a great work, which occupied the suc- 
ceeding four years of his life, and was published by the British 
Government. In 1842 appeared his notable theory of coral forma- 
tion, under the title of " The Structure and Distribution of Coral 
Reefs;" in 1844, "Geological Observations on Volcanic Islands;" 
in 1846, "Geological Observations on South America," and in 1853 
a valuable treatise on the barnacles, entitled "A Monograph of the 
Cirripedia." These various works placed him in the front rank of 
the scientific thinkers of his day. 

RESULTS OF HIS STUDY 

Such were the results, as given to the world, of the observa- 
tion of nature through distant regions of the earth by one of the 
keenest of modern observers and ablest of modern thinkers. They 
were followed by a second series of observations, made within the 
narrow limits of an English country-seat, as extended in scope and 
as prolific in results as those which had half the surface of the earth 
for their stage. Settling down, three years after his marriage, at 
Down, near Beckenham, a Kentish town seven miles south of Lon- 
don, he spent there the remainder of his life as a country gentle- 
man, occupying his time, so far as persistent ill-health would permit, 
with his conservatories, his garden, his pigeons, and his fowls. He 
was fortunate in the possession of private means that enabled him 
to devote his life to the study of science, and especially to those 
observations on variation and interbreeding in his birds and plants, 
of which he made such notable use in his later lifework. 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 455 

Darwin had become engaged with the problem of the origin 
of species before this. His work on the Beagle had led his 
thoughts in this direction, and in 1837 he began diligently to col- 
lect facts and note down observations tending towards the solution 
of this puzzling problem. Five years were thus spent before he 
"allowed himself to speculate" on the subject, the notes then 
jotted down forming the germ of his celebrated later theory. But 
he was too cautious and painstaking to rush hastily into print, 
and for years afterwards he continued to gather corroborative 
facts. How many years more his constitutional caution would 
have kept him silent it is impossible to say, for an incident oc- 
curred that precipitated his theory upon the world — to save him- 
self from being deprived of the fruit of his long years of labor by 
another. 

THE ELEMENTS OF A ROMANCE 

This incident had in it the elements of a romance. While 
Darwin was engaged among his pigeons and plants at Down, 
Alfred Russell Wallace, a scientific thinker of the highest ability, 
was spending years of travel in the Malay Archipelago, one of the 
richest tropical centres of animated nature upon the earth. In 
1858 he sent home a memoir which was addressed to Darwin 
himself, asking him, as a friend, to present it to the Linnaean 
Society. On opening and reading it, Darwin found, much to his 
surprise, and doubtless somewhat to his consternation, that it 
embraced the main idea of his own theory of natural selection. 
He spoke of this strange circumstance to his friends, Sir Charles 
Lyell and Sir Joseph Hooker, and was persuaded by them to draw 
up a statement of his own views and read it before the Linnaean 
Society at the same meeting at which Wallace's paper would be 
read, July 1, 1858. This he did ; and thus the greatest theory of 
the nineteenth century was presented to the world simultaneously 
by two minds, though strangely through one hand. 

Stirred to work by this disturbing fact, Darwin at once began 
the labor of condensing and arranging his vast mass of notes, and 



456 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 

in November, 1859, appeared the greatest work of his life, and the 
most influential work of the century, " The Origin of Species by 
Means of Natural Selection." It was an epoch-making book. 
Europe and America alike received it with the deepest interest ; 
every one talked of it, with enthusiastic acceptance or bitter 
rejection ; it was violently assailed and earnestly defended ; for the 
time beinsf it divided the scientists and thinkers of the world into 
two camps, the Darwinists and the Anti-Darwinists, between which 
rained a furious bombardment of polemical books. We need 
scarcely say here that the battle was won by the Darwinists, and 
that before the end of the century the contest was at an end and 
the Darwinian theory almost universally accepted. 

The remainder of Darwin's life-story may be briefly told. His 
notes had been far from exhausted, new observations were uncease- 
ingly made, and from time to time there appeared supplementary 
volumes from his pen, all bearing upon and going to strengthen 
the argument of his famous " Origin of Species." Of these we 
will name but one, " The Descent of Man," published in 1871, and 
for a time stirring up again the controversy which had in great part 
subsided. This work took up a subject which he had avoided in 
1859, an d carried his theory to its legitimate conclusion, to wit : 
that man is no more a product of special creation than any other 
animal, but is a direct offspring of the lower animal creation, his 
immediate ancestor having been an animal belonging to the anth- 
ropoid group, the highest forms of the ape family, and a more or 
less distant relative of the existing anthropoids, the orang-outang, 
gorilla and chimpanzee. 

This and later works brought Darwin to the end of his career. 
Long in a very feeble state of health, and the victim of distressing 
ailments, he had worked for years under the severest disadvantages, 
and at length succumbed on April 19, 1882, dying suddenly after a 
very short illness. He was buried with unusual honors in West-: 
minster Abbey, being placed among those whom his country most 
delighted to honor, Throughout life, despite the frequently bitter 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 457 

attacks upon him by excited opponents, Charles Darwin won high 
credit for unflinching honesty of purpose and earnest devotion to 
truth, while kindliness of disposition and warm attachment to his 
friends were marked features of his character, which was, indeed, 
as admirable on its moral and affectional side as it was remarkable 
from a purely intellectual point of view. 

darwin's influence tn the Victorian era 

The work that Darwin did lives after him. It has profoundly 
influenced the thought of the later years of the Victorian era, 
making itself felt not only in science, but in theology, sociology, 
and all the deeper movements of the age. Huxley, Wallace, and 
a dozen other scientists of eminence took up the work where Dar- 
win laid it down, and developed it so thoroughly that few educated 
people now think of questioning the theory that the changes in 
animals are due to the struggle for existence among vast multitudes 
and the survival of those whose variations in form gave them an 
advantage in the battle of life. This theory that the numerous 
species of animals arose by development from lower forms, not by 
a succession of creations, is now accepted, not only by the great 
body of scientists, but by great numbers of churchmen as well, and 
is distinctively the great thought product of the Victorian age. 

The idea of evolution thus formulated is not confined to the 
appearance of animal and plant forms. It has been extended to 
embrace all nature, the several domains of which have been treated 
by able scientific and philosophical writers, while the general con- 
ception of the origin of all things by a process of development has 
been extended to cover all changes in the universe, inorganic and 
organic alike. 

In this work a writer, as eminent in his way as Darwin, gave 
lustre to the Victorian age, and calls for mention as the leading 
philosophical scientist, as Darwin was the leading practical scientist 
of the period. This power in the world of thought is Herbert 
Spencer, the author of a complete system of philosophy based no 



458 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 

evolution, and illustrated by a vast multitude of scientific facts, which 
he has lived to give to the world in its fully rounded form. 

Born in 1820, Spencer's work, like that of Darwin, was all 
included during the life of Britain's late Queen. His "Social 
States," " Development Hypothesis," " Principles of Psychology," 
and other able works appeared before Darwin's " Origin of Species," 
but they adopt evolution as a part and carry it into numerous fields 
of thought. While writing these works the conception of a system 
of evolutionary philosophy was growing into form in his mind, and 
in i860 he announced his intention to produce a "System of 
Synthetic Philosophy," which would begin with the first principles 
of all knowledge, and trace the law of evolution as it realized itself 
stage by stage in the realms of life, mind, society and morality. 

This was an ambitious programme, but Spencer lived to carry 
it through. Beginning with his " First Principles," published in 
1862, he issued in succession the "Principles of Biology," "Principles 
of Psychology," " Principles of Sociology," and " Principles of 
Ethics," the last work not being completed until the final years of 
the century. This great production may be looked upon as the 
only truly scientific system of philosophy in existence. It is not 
founded on pigments of thought, like the metaphysical writings of 
the famous German philosophers, but is strictly physical in its 
foundations, selecting and systematizing the facts of nature dis- 
covered by a multitude of observers, and showing how they fit into 
and strengthen his argument, and demonstrate the principle of 
universal evolution. 

It may be said that the strength of Spencer's life work lies in 
his brilliant powers of generalization, his wide acquaintance with 
science in its various fields, and the unsurpassed wealth of illustra- 
tions which he brings to bear upon his arguments. His profound 
treatment of the theory of evolution has deeply influenced the 
thought of the age, and he ranks high among the few modern 
thinkers who have sought to work out a system of the development 
of the universe in its totality. Herbert Spencer's works are not 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 459 

likely to supplant the modern novel with the great reading public. 
Those who attack them must come prepared to think deeply and 
must be possessed of an active power of reasoning; To these, and 
to these alone, will the works of this great thinker appeal ; but 
those who turn to them with a fine capacity of understanding will 
be amply repaid for their labor. 

SCIENCE IN VICTORIAN ERA 

Leaving now these great masters of theoretical science, let us 
consider what developments in practical science illumine the Vic- 
torian age. It may be said here that, while science was in a measure 
in its infancy at the dawn of the nineteenth century, there had been 
accumulated facts in considerable abundance to form the ground- 
work of the massive edifice about to be erected. The building of 
this great temple of science went on with extraordinary rapidity 
during the century, and to-day our knowledge-of the facts of sci- 
ence is immensely greater than that of our predecessors of a cen- 
tury ago ; while of the views entertained and theories promulgated 
previous to 1800, the great sum have been thrown overboard and 
replaced by others founded upon a much wider and deeper knowl- 
edge of facts. 

New and important theoretical views of science have been 
reached in all departments. Recent chemistry, for instance, is a 
very different thing from the chemistry even of as late a date as the 
accession of Victoria to the throne. Geology has been almost com- 
pletely transformed. Heat, once supposed to be a substance, is 
now known to be a motion ; light, formerly thought to be a direct 
motion of particles, is now believed to be a wave motion ; new and 
important conceptions have been reached concerning electricity and 
magnetism ; and our knowledge of the various sciences that have 
to do with the world of life is extraordinarily advanced. As for the 
practical application of science, one extraordinary illustration exists 
in the startling fact that the substance of the atmosphere, scarcely 



4 6o PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 

known a century ago, can now be reduced to a liquid and carried 
about like water in a bucket. 

In view of the facts here briefly stated it might almost be said 
that science, as it exists to-day, is a result of the thought and 
observation of the Victorian age ; since that of the past was largely 
theoretical and the bulk of its theories have been set aside, while 
the scientific observations of former times were but a drop in the 
bucket as compared with the vast multitude of those made within 
the recent period. As regards the utilization of scientific facts, 
their application to the benefit of mankind, this is almost solely 
the work of the period under review, and in no direction has inven- 
tion produced more wonderful and useful results. 

The whole vast progress of science within the Victorian period, 
the extraordinary activity of investigators in their researches in all 
parts of the earth, the enormous collections of facts in all branches 
of science, the brilliant theories that were evolved, the numerous 
and remarkable applications of scientific discoveries to the benefit 
of mankind, form an immense accumulation of results very far 
beyond our power to consider in a brief space, and which, as a 
whole, throws a brilliant flood of illumination upon the period of 
Victoria's reign. The most we can undertake to do in the space 
at our command is to allude to a few of these lines of progress and 
the results to which they led. 

THE OLDEST AND NOBLEST OF THE SCIENCES 

Beginning with astronomy, the oldest and noblest of the 
sciences, we could record a vast number of minor discoveries, but 
shall confine ourselves to the major ones. Progress in astronomy 
has kept in close pace with development in instruments. The tele- 
scope of the end of the century, for instance, has enormously 
greater space-penetrating and star-defining powers than that used 
at the beginning, and has added extraordinarily to our knowledge 
of the number of stars, the character of their groupings, and the 
constitution of solar orbs and nebulae. These results have been 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 461 

greatly added to by the use of the camera in astronomy, the pho- 
tograph revealing stellar secrets which could never have been 
learned by the aid of the telescope alone. This has also the great 
advantage of placing on record the positions of the stars at any 
fixed moment, and thus rendering comparatively easy the detection 
of motions among them. 

But it is to a new instrument of research, the spectroscope, that 
we owe our most interesting knowledge of the stars. This won- 
derful instrument enables us to analyze the ray of light itself, to 
study the many lines by which the vari-colored spectrum is crossed 
and discover to what substances certain groups of lines are due. 
From studying with this instrument the substances which compose 
the earth, science has taken to studying the stars, and has found 
that not only our sun, but suns whose distance is almost beyond 
the grasp of thought, are made up largely of chemical substances 
similar to those that exist in the earth. A second result of the use 
of this instrument has been to prove that there are true nebulae in 
the heavens, masses of star dust or vapor not yet gathered into 
orbs, and that there are dark suns, great invisible orbs, which have 
cooled until they have ceased to give off light. A third result is 
the power of tracing the motions of stars which are passing in a 
direct line to or from the earth. By this means it has been found that 
many of the double or multiple stars are revolving around each 
other. A late discovery in this direction, made in 1899, is that the 
Polar star, which appears single in the most powerful telescope, is 
really made up of three stars, two of which revolve round each 
other every four hours, while the two together circle round the 
more distant companion. 

In the group of sciences known under the general title of 
Physics — chemistry, light, heat, electricity and magnetism — the 
progress has been equally great, and discoveries of almost startling 
significance were made. The chemistry of to-day is in great part 
a new science, mainly built up since Victoria began her reign. For- 
merly the chemistry of lifeless nature and the chemistry of living 



462 PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 

things were thought to be separated by a wide gap. Now this gap 
has been closed, and there is only one chemistry, while hundreds 
of substances, once to be had only from plants, are now made by 
the chemist in his laboratory ; some of them, indigo, for instance, 
being produced more cheaply than nature is able to manufacture 
them. 

PHYSICAL SCIENCE 

Light, one of the first of nature's phenomena to attract the 
attention of man, is only now becoming understood. It was for- 
merly supposed to be a substance given off by shining bodies, and 
it was not until the nineteenth century that it was found to be, not 
a substance, but a motion, a series of waves rapidly traversing a 
rarefied element known as the ether, its speed of progress being 
more than 186,000 miles in a second. 

Much might be said about the discoveries in the constitution 
and applications of light. Among these steps of progress perhaps 
the most interesting is the development of instantaneous photog- 
raphy, a striking result of which is the power, by aid of photographs 
taken in rapid succession, of portraying objects in motion — living 
pictures, as they are called — an exhibit now so common and so 
marvelous. But among all the advances in the science of optics 
the most important are spectrum analysis and the Rontgen ray. 
The remarkable discoveries made in astronomy by the former of 
these have been already stated. The Rontgen ray, which has the 
power of rendering ordinarily opaque substances transparent, has 
become of extraordinary value in surgery, as showing the exact 
location of foreign substances within the body, the position and 
character of bone fractures, etc. A surgeon to-day can look through 
the human body, discover the locality of many of its injuries, and 
learn the exact spot in which to apply the knife. 

As regards the phenomena of heat, we need only speak of the 
remarkable power now possessed of producing very high and 
extremely low temperatures. By the former the most refractory 
substances may be vaporized. By the latter the most volatile 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 463 

gases such as those of the air, may be liquified and even frozen. 
The point of absolute zero, that in which all heat motion would 
disappear, is estimated to be at the temperature of 274 degrees 6 
minutes centigrade below the freezing point of water. A degree 
of cold within some forty degrees of this has been reached in the 
liquefaction of hydrogen. 

Electricity, formerly, like heat and light, looked upon as a sub- 
stance, is now known to be a motion, being, in fact, identical in 
orio-in with lisfht and radiant heat. All these forces are considered 
to be motions of the luminiferous ether, their principal distinction 
being in length of wave. In fact, it is easy to convert one of them 
into the other, and the great doctrine of the conservation and cor- 
relation of forces means simply that heat, light and electricity may 
be mutually transformed, and that no loss of motion or force takes 
place in these changes from one mode of motion to another. In 
the operation of the electric trolley car, to offer a familiar example, 
the heat power of coal is first transformed into engine motion, 
then into electricity, then again into light and heat within the car, 
then into mass motion in the motor, and finally passes away as 
electricity. 

THE APPLICATIONS OF ELECTRIC POWER 

The applications of electric power to human use form the 
most striking and brilliant developments of the Victorian age, and 
open out before us a startling vista of extraordinary future prob- 
abilities. During the reign of the Queen, whose life we are con- 
sidering:, the whole field of human thought and action has been 
largely transformed by the magic of the electric current. Its 
developments include the electric telegraph, now extended over all 
lands and under all seas ; the telephone, by whose aid men may 
speak to their friends more than a thousand miles away ; wireless 
telegraphy, which enables information to be sent directly through 
many miles of earth or air ; electric metallurgy, a principle of the 
highest utility to mankind ; the electric light, with whose marvels 
we are all fully familiar ; electric power, which is now used in a 



464 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 



thousand applications ; and various other useful employments 
of this universal agent, which has been delivered into our hands 
mainly during the life of the Queen. 

In the science of geology, the most striking theory of the Vic- 
torian era is that of Sir Charles Lyell, whose " Principles of 
Geology" (1830-33) formed an epoch in the advance of the science. 
Before his time the seeming breaks in the series of the rocks were 
looked upon as the results of mighty catastrophes, vast upheavals 
or depressions in the surface, which worked widespread destruction 
among animals and plants, these cataclysms being followed by new 
creations in the world of life. Lyell contended that the forces now 
at work are of the same type as those which have been always at 
work ; that catastrophes have always been local, as they are now 
local ; that general forces have acted slowly, and that there has been 
no world-wide break, either in rock deposits or the progress of human 
beings. Geology since Lyell's day has moved around in these 
lines, and has added an extraordinary mass of facts to our former 
slight knowledge of the constitution and evolution of the earth's 
surface and of the realm of living things. 



THE STUDY OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND ITS PHENOMENA 

Meteorology, the study of the atmosphere and its phenomena, 
is another science to which much attention was given during the 
period under review. A vast number of facts have been learned 
concerning the atmosphere, its alterations of heat and cold, of calm 
and storm, of pressure, of diminution of density and loss of heat 
in ascending, and of its fluctuations in humidity, with the variations 
of sunshine and cloud, fog, rain, snow, hail, lightning and other 
manifestations. 

The study of the winds has been a prominent feature in the 
progress of this science, and our knowledge of the causes and charac- 
ter of storms has been greatly developed. The theory that storms 
are due to great rotary movements in the atmosphere, immense 
cyclonic whirls, frequently followed by reverse, or anti-cyclonic 



PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 465 

movements, has gone far to clear up the mystery of the winds, 
while the destructive tornado, the terrific local whirl in the winds, 
has been closely studied, though not yet fully understood. 

We must stop here, on the threshold of the great kingdom of 
life, with its numerous sciences, including botany, zoology, anatomy, 
physiology, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and various others 
that might be named, each bristling with facts in every direction in 
which we look. Of these many sciences there is only one to which 
we need give special attention, that of bacteriology, which has had 
its complete development within the Victorian era, and which, while 
one of the most brilliant, is perhaps the most vitally important of 
them all to the human race. 

While the discovery of the influence of bacteria in producing 
the most dangerous and terrible of diseases was discovered largely 
by French and German scientists, one of its most important results, 
that of the use of antiseptics in surgery, was due to an Englishman, 
Sir Joseph Lister, whose valuable discovery has saved thousands of 
lives. But the whole theory of the germ-origin of diseases is of 
incalculable benefit to mankind. Medical science has, for the first 
time in history, discovered the cause of the frightful epidemics 
which for ages past have been a scourge to mankind, and is rapidly 
learning how to cure, and still better, how to prevent, the deadly 
assaults of pestilence. If to give man a sound body and good 
health is the greatest benefit that could be conferred, then we must 
credit the Victorian period with being supreme over all that pre- 
ceded it. 



26 



CHAPTER XXXI 

Literature in the Victorian Age 

GREAT Britain came to the nineteenth century with a great 
galaxy of famous writers, leading back through many cen- 
turies. The eighteenth century is rich in great names, in- 
cluding among its poets Pope, Burns, Cowper, Gray and Thomp- 
son ; among its essayists, Addison, Swift and Johnson ; among its 
novelists, Richardson, Fielding, Smollet, Sterne, and Goldsmith ; 
among its historians, Gibbon, Hume and Robertson. It crossed 
the portals of the nineteenth century with a galaxy of poets more 
brilliant than has appeared in any equal period of English litera- 
ture, including the world-famous Byron, Wordsworth, Coleridge, 
Shelley, Moore, Keats, Scott and Campbell, a group of writers 
which, taken as a whole, it would be difficult to match in any age. 

SWEET SINGERS OF THIS ERA 

These sweet singers have been followed by others who well kept 
up the standard of British poetry in the Victorian age, including 
Tennyson, one of the rarest of artists in words, the two Brown- 
ings, Matthew and Edwin Arnold, William Morris, Swinburne, the 
Rossettis, and various others of lesser note, among whom we must 
include Alfred Austin, the latest, though not the most, admired poet- 
laureate. These are but the elder flight of singing-; birds of the 
century, many younger ones being on the wing, among whom at 
present Rudyard Kipling leads the way. 

In the second field of imaginative literature, that of the novel, 
the British Isles, are abundantly represented, and by some of the 
most famous names anywhere existing in this domain of intel- 
lectual activity. The names alone of these writers form a 

466 



LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 



467 



catalogue rarely equalled in the world's literature. 
It will suffice to name Scott, Thackeray, Dickens, 
Bulwer, Charlotte Bronte and Marion Evans as the 
most prominent among a multitude of able writers, 
containing many names high in merit and rich in 
variety of style. At the end of the century the field 
was crowded with writers of conspicuous skill. 




THE QUEEN'S MORNING RIDE 

History has reached a high level in the hands of some of the 
ablest writers in this field known in any age, including Macaulay, 
Freeman, Froude, Grote, Thirwall, Hallam, Merivale, Buckle, 
Leckey, Carlyle and Green. Two of these, Carlyle and Macaulay, 
have won as high a place in the field of criticism and biography as 



468 LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 

in that of history. In art criticism Ruskin occupies a unique 
position, while theological subjects and religious thought are repre- 
sented by such able exponents as Cardinal Newman, Dean Stanley, 
Canon Liddon, Dean Farrar, Martineau, Whately, Drummond, 
Spurgeon and many others. The great reviewers include Jeffrey, 
Sydney Smith, Hazlitt, De Quincey and Foster ; the wits, Sheri- 
dan, Hook, Jerrold, Smith and Hood ; the philosophers, Stewart, 
Bentham, Brown, Hamilton, Spencer and Mill ; and the scientists, 
Owen, Faraday, Murchison, Darwin, Huxley, Tyndall and various 
others. 

STEPS OF PROGRESS IN LITERATURE 

We may credit the Victorian age with several marked steps of 
progress in literature. The most meritorious works of the past 
ages were in the fields of poetry, drama, philosophy, oratory, and 
other branches of imaginative and metaphysical thought. The 
practice of accurate observation and the literature arising from it 
are very largely of nineteenth century development. The litera- 
ture of travel, for instance, is confined in great measure to the 
Victorian period, and the same may be said of that of science, the 
comparatively few scientific treatises of the past having been 
replaced by a vast multitude of scientific works. These are largely 
confined to records of scientific observation and discovery, the 
gathering of facts in every field of science having been enormous, 
so that great libraries of works of science to-day replace the scanty 
volumes of a century ago. 

A second field of nineteenth century advance is in the domain 
of history. The history of the past is largely the annals of kings 
and the story of wars. Thucydides, the philosophical historian of 
Greece, had few successors before the recent period, within which 
written history has greatly broadened its scope, reaching to heights 
and descending to depths unattempted before. Histories of the 
people have for the first time been written, and the outreach of 
historical research has been made to cover institutions, manners 
and customs, morals and superstitions, and a thousand things 




HER MAJESTY RECEIVES LORD ROBERTS, igox 
The Last Official Act of the Queen. 



LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 471 

neglected by older authors. History, in short, has at once become 
philosophical and scientific, efforts being made in the latter direc- 
tion to sweep into its net everything relating to man, and in the 
former to discover the forces underlying the downward flow through 
time of the human race, and to trace the influences which have 
given rise to the political, social and other institutions of mankind. 
A still more special field of the Victorian literary development 
is that of the novel, which attained some promising development 
in the latter part of the eighteenth century, but was still in a crude 
state at the opening of the nineteenth, when it was taken up by the 
powerful hand of Scott, whose remarkable works first fairly opened 
this new domain of intellectual enjoyment to mankind. Since his 
time the literature of the novel has grown stupendous in quantity 
and remarkable in quality, reaching from the most worthless and 
degraded forms of literary production to the highest regions of 
human thought. The novel, as now developed, covers almost the 
entire domain of intellectual production, embracing works of 
adventure, romance, literal and ideal pictures of life, humor, 
philosophy, religion, science, — forming indeed a great drag-net 
that sweeps up everything that comes in its way. 

BOOK-MAKING IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 

There is another field of literary production, more humble but 
not less useful than those named, which has had an immense 
development within the Victorian age, that of the school text-book. 
The text-books of earlier, periods were of the crudest and most 
imperfect character as compared with the multitude of works, 
admirably designed to smooth the pathway to knowledge, which 
now crowd our schools. In connection with these may be named 
the great development in methods of education, and the spread of 
educational facilities, whose effect has been such that, whereas a 
century ago education was confined to the few, it now belongs to 
the many, and ignorance is being almost driven beyond the borders 
of civilized nations. These who cannot read and write are becoming 



472 LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 

a degraded minority, while a multitude of colleges and universities 
are yielding the advantages of the higher education to a constantly 
increasing multitude. 

A highly important feature of the Victorian epoch has been 
the enormous development in book-making. The wide-spread 
education of the people in recent times has created an extraor- 
dinary demand for books, there being a thousand readers now to 
each one of a century or two ago. This demand has given rise to 
as extraordinary a supply, which is not offered in books alone, but 
in periodicals of the most varied character and scope, including a 
multitude of newspapers almost beyond comprehension. 

The demand for reading matter could not have been a tenth 
part supplied with the facilities of half a century ago, but man's 
powers in this direction have steadily increased. From the intel- 
lectual side, the advance in education has provided a great number 
of men competent to cater to the multitude of readers, as authors 
in various fields, editors, reporters, etc.,- an army of able men 
and women being enlisted in this work. From the mechanical 
side, invention has served a similar purpose ; the paper-making 
machinery, with the use of wood as raw material, the mechanical 
type-setters, the rapid printing-presses, and other inventions having 
not only enormously increased the ability to produce books and 
newspapers, but cheapened them to such an extent that they are 
now within the reach of the poorest. A century ago such a thing 
as an one-cent newspaper was unknown. Now a daily that sells for 
more than a cent is growing rare. A century ago only a few dic- 
tionaries, enclyclopedias, and other works of reference were in 
existence, and those were within the reach only of the well-to-do. 
Now works of this kind are very numerous, and they are being 
sold so cheaply and on such easy terms of payment, that they are 
widely spread through the families of artisans and farmers. 

In truth the number of books possessed by wage-earners and 
agriculturists to-day is very much greater than those classes form- 
erly possessed, and the character of these works has improved so 



LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 473 

greatly that they serve a highly useful purpose in the advancement 
of popular education. In addition to the actual ownership of books, 
there has been a vast increase in libraries, and such an improve- 
ment in methods of distribution that books of all kinds are within 
the reach of the poorest of city people, and measures are being 
taken to place them at the disposal of country people as well. 

What has been said about literature can scarcely be repeated 
about art. The nineteenth century has developed no new species 
of fine art, and in its productions in sculpture, painting, architec- 
ture and music has given us no works superior to those of the 
earlier centuries. Many names of artists of genius could be given, 
if necessary, but as these names indicate nothing original in style 
or superior in merit there is no call to present them. The advance 
of art in the Victorian epoch has been rather in the cheap produc- 
tion and wide dissemination of works of art than in any originality 
of conception. 

ADVANCE IN PICTORIAL ART 

In this direction the greatest advance has been made in pictorial 
art. Methods of engraving have been very greatly cheapened, and 
the photograph has supplied the world with an enormous multitude 
of faithful counterparts of nature. Among the many ways in which 
this form of art has been applied, one of the most useful is that of 
book illustration. The ordinary " picture-book" of the beginning 
of the century was an eye-sore of frightful character, its only allevi- 
ation being that the cost of illustrations prevented many of them 
being given. The " half-tone " method of reproduction of photo- 
graphs has made a wonderful development in this direction, pictures 
that faithfully reproduce in black, and white scenes of nature or 
art being now made with such cheapness that book illustrations of 
superior character have grown very abundant, and it has become 
possible to illustrate effectively the daily newspaper, laying before 
us in pictorial form the scenes of events that happened only a few 
hours before. 



474 LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 

If we depart from this general treatment of the subject, and 
come to consider more closely the literary features of the reign of 
Queen Victoria, we find ourselves in a field of extraordinary fecun- 
dity. The sky of English thought in this period is thickly starred 
with shining- names. In the field of fiction, a writer of the most 
striking originality, Charles Dickens, began his career almost in the 
first year of the reign, his inimitably amusing "Pickwick Papers" 
appearing in 1836, and " Oliver Twist," in which he began his war 
against social wrong, in 1837. During the earlier years of the 
reign his books came out in rapid succession, most of them brim- 
ming with humor, while many of them struck trenchant blows at 
the evils of the age. 

Side by side with Dickens stood Thackeray, his rival for public 
favor, a writer as restrained in method and polished in style as 
Dickens was exaggerated and careless. His humor differs widely 
from the broad fun-making and ludicrous situations of Dickens, 
being rather ironical satire than humor. As a novelist Thackeray 
is unsurpassed in style, in character drawing and in power of 
description, while his story-telling faculty is of the highest order. 
Side by side, these two strikingly diverse, yet equally able, authors 
gave lustre to the early period of Victoria's reign. A third author 
of the same period, Bulwer, was perhaps chiefly meritorious for his 
industry, though he had an admirable gift as a teller of stories, 
and this has sufficed to keep some of his works fresh. 

But the credit of literary skill in fiction was not confined to 
the men of the reign, several women of excellent powers coming 
forward to claim their share of public admiration. Jane Austen 
had done her work and passed away before Victoria was born, but 
Charlotte Bronte, whose works were published between 1847 and 
1853, gave a share of brilliancy to the reign of the woman Sov- 
ereign, while her friend and biographer, Mrs. Gaskell, produced a 
village epic in prose in her delightful "Cranford." But most illus- 
trious of the women writers of the reign was Marian Evans 
(George Eliot), a woman of extraordinary ability in the field of 



LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 475 

fiction, and whose "Adam Bede," " Mill on the Floss," " Middle- 
march," and other works struck the world as a fresh revelation of 
power in character drawing, fine humor, philosophic thought, and 
novelistic skill. Others of later date, women and men alike, who 
have adorned the Victorian reign with fine examples of prose fic- 
tion, might be named, but those given must suffice. 

POETRY IN THIS ERA 

In poetry the era was not less brilliant, and Tennyson in par- 
ticular, with his delightful " Idyls of the King," his philosophic 
" In Memoriam," and his musical lyrics, took the world's ear captive. 
Markedly unlike him in style appears Browning, concealing his 
deep thoughts in a cloud of obscure phrases, from which the gold 
of his verse can be obtained only by a process akin to mining. 
Fortunately the product is well worth the pains. Still different in 
method and subject is William Morris, who calls himself "the idle 
singer of an empty day," yet who has given the world delightful 
visions of an ancient world of legend too vapory to exist outside 
the poet's brain. 

Poets dealing in less ambitious themes, lyrical rather than epi- 
cal in handling, yet full of the divine spirit, are Rossetti, Swin- 
burne, Matthew and Edwin Arnold, and others of considerable 
merit. Among women we may particularly instance Mrs. Brown- 
ing, a poetess of fine vein of thought and rich facility of expression, 
who deservedly ranks among the most important of the women who 
graced the Victorian reign with their literary productions. Miss 
Rossetti also wrote some charming verses, marked by much feeling 
and great technical skill. 

Leaving these domains of literary labor, we find the Victorian 
era well filled with able writers in other fields of thought. Prominent 
among them is Carlyle, a man who exerted a most important influ- 
ence upon his age. His fervor, his eloquence, his sincerity, his stern 
appeals to do one's duty and cling to the right, his rugged, uncouth, 
but often intense style, are familiar to us all, and he stands high 



476 LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 

among the forces that gave greatness and distinction to the 
recent age. 

By his side stands another man as potent in his influence upon 
the age, yet as smooth and flowing in style as Carlyle was dis- 
jointed. This man was John Ruskin, the famous art critic, who 
denounced false methods in the art of painting as earnestly as Car- 
lyle did in the art of living. Ruskin was an enthusiast, a special 
admirer of the glowing style of Turner and of the vagaries of the 
pre-Raphaelites, yet thoroughly honest and intensely earnest, and 
his influence upon the art of the Victorian age was a factor of great 
importance in the history of that era. 

Coming to a prosier subject of thought, that of economics, we 
meet in John Stuart Mill another author who threw lustre upon the 
era of the Queen. He, too, was seeking the amelioration of man- 
kind, but in a very different way from the two writers just named. 
In his hands the subjects of logic and the theory of utilitarianism 
were given new treatment, and, in his " Principles of Political 
Economy," he presented many new ideas to the world. His argu- 
ment was with the prejudices and false views which had grown up 
about the subject of industrial and social relations, and his influ- 
ence became very great. 

THE DOMAIN OF HISTORY 

In the domain of history, Macaulay stands prominent as the 
most fluent, lucid and eloquent writer of the age, as unlike Carlyle 
as the smooth and slender willow is unlike the rough and gnarled 
oak. His pictures of the English life of the past are vividly drawn, 
clearly outlined, and touched in with an abundance of illustrative 
facts whose cumulative effect is highly convincing. Among the 
various able historians of the reign Macaulay will long remain the 
most popular, from the romantic interest with which he invested 
the often dry details of history. 

We have particularized here only a few of the more notable 
authors of Victoria's reign. There are others of less prominence, 



LITERATURE IN THE VICTORIAN AGE 477 

yet of exalted merit, who might well be named but for the limita- 
tion of space. Even in what is usually considered the dry field 
of scientific authorship there are authors who write almost with 
the fluency and vim of novelists. Take Huxley, for instance, with 
his strong, flowing, and argumentative style, bringing scientific 
writing well within the domain of pure literature, or the clear-cut 
descriptive pages of Tyndall, or the convincing arguments of Clif- 
ford, or a dozen others who have enriched literature by their 
popularization of scientific facts. 

The literature of the Victorian reign was confined to great 
works of literary art. In addition, much was done to provide 
mental pabulum for the common mind. Before Victoria came to 
the throne Charles Knight had begun his " Library of Entertaining 
Knowledge," and in 1838 he published his popular " Pictorial His- 
tory of England." Chambers' "Information for the People" 
began its career in 1833, and various other cheap works of 
information adapted to the average taste were offered to the 
masses. These were but the beginnings of a reign of educative 
literature, which increased enormously as the Victorian reign went 
on, and included works for the information of the people on a 
thousand diverse topics. To them were added ambitious collec- 
tions of material for ready reference, — dictionaries, encyclopaedias, 
manuals of information, and other accumulations of facts, — until 
by the end of the reign it was possible for the humblest cottager 
to have well digested stores of useful information at command, 
which the best libraries scarcely afforded at its beginning. We 
are now in an age of universal education, and the sun of the Vic- 
torian era has set upon a period in which the humblest may, with 
little expenditure of cash and energy, become as well informed in 
the more useful topics as scholars could have done a century 
before. 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

The Queen's Last Illness 

THE first month of the new century had little more than half 
passed when the world was startled by the announcement 
that the life of Queen Victoria was seriously menaced. To 
be sure, her reign was already unprecedently long, and she had 
reached an age beyond which she could not expect to see many 
years. She had celebrated a Jubilee and a Diamond Jubilee. Yet 
so accustomed were the people of all nations to see her on the 
throne of England that the prospect of a change — even a change 
that was recognized to be inevitable — was a shock. The Queen's 
strong constitution manifested the first symptoms of serious decay 
as early as in November and December, 1899, during the stay of 
the Court at Windsor when evil tidings of the South African war 
came in rapid succession. At this time she began to have fits of 
weeping, which, in an aggravated form, preceded her last illness. 
Excitement over her visit to Ireland seemed to revive her, but 
before the visit ended a reaction had set in. 

The public, it is believed, was mislead by accounts of her 
alleged replies to addresses and other evidences of mental activity, 
when, in reality, the Queen lived as in a dream. For instance, she 
is reported to have made an animated reply to the address pre- 
sented to her at Mount Anville convent, Dublin, whereas all that 
she uttered was the dazed inquiry: " Where am I ?" 

Her spirits revived in her Highland home under the influence 
of Lord Roberts' achievements, but the death of Prince Christian 
Victor, her grandson, the hopeless reports concerning the Empress 
Frederic and the prospect of. an indefinite prolongation of the war 

478 




EDWARD VII. KING OF ENGLAND 
January 22, 1901. 




ALEXANDRA 

The Queen Consort of King Edward VII. 



THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 48 1 

constituted a trial under which, in November, 1900, her health began 
to suffer severely. Still her spirit remained undaunted, and when it 
was reported that Kruger had said that the war -would claim her as 
one of its victims, the Queen declared, " I may die, but Mr. Kruger 
won't kill me." 

In December her feebleness rapidly increased. Sleepless 
nights passed in prayer and in tears caused profound anxiety to 
her household. She lost appetite and began to shrivel away, pre- 
senting for the first time all the characteristics of senile decay. It 
has always been a source of wonder to physicians that, with her 
great appetite and physique, she had escaped an apoplectic stroke, 
but about this time a falling away on her left side and the loss of 
power in her left arm and leg caused apprehension of approaching 
paralysis. 

So alarming was her condition at the beginning of December 
that the royal family was precluded for the time from going on the 
continent. The change to Osborne did not work the benefit that 
had been anticipated from it, as news of the war and of the 
Empress Frederic's illness had become a constant anxiety to the 
Queen, and she suffered with increasing frequency from depression 
and weeping. 

She was constantly referring to the death of the Duke of Saxe- 
Coburg, and expressed the wish to see the Duchess, who accord- 
ingly, was brought to Osborne, but the first interview with the 
Duchess left the Queen prostrated with grief. The last drive she 
had with the Duchess as a companion was on Tuesday, the 15th of 
January. On her return the Queen was asleep in the carriage, in 
which condition she was taken to bed, from which she never rose. 

Dr. Pagenstecher, the great expert in eye diseases, was sum- 
moned to Osborne. The Queen suffered acutely with her eyes, 
owing to constant weeping. Dr. Pagenstecher made a general 
examination on Monday, and reported that their was nothing organ- 
ically wrong with the Queen, and that she was suffering only from 
nervous exhaustion. 



4 8 2 THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 

Still she harped on the war, and Mr. Joseph Chamberlain was 
commanded to go to Osborne House to console her. His efforts 
were fruitless, and it is said that the Queen abruptly closed the audi- 
ence, directing subsequently that Earl Roberts be invited. His inter- 
view on Tuesday was more prolonged. It was immediately after this 
that the Queen went for a drive with the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg. 

For a fortnight before Sir Francis Laking, without the knowl- 
edge of the public, had been assisting Sir James Reid at Osborne 
House in professional attendance upon the Queen, and on Thurs- 
day Sir Douglas Powell, the famous heart and lung specialist, was 
summoned, owing to two attacks of heart failure during Wednesday 
night. 

The condition of the Queen now assumed the gravest com- 
plexion. Still the Prince of Wales, in order to allay public appre- 
hension of the real facts, went to Earl Roberts' dinner and subse- 
quently to the theatre on Thursday night. On that day the Queen 
had a stroke of paralysis and sank into a comatose, or semi-comatose, 
condition, occasionally asking, " Is the war over?" 

On Saturday morning, January 19th, the Queen's physicians 
issued a reassuring bulletin, and members of the royal family started 
to carry out their usual plans. Later, alarming dispatches went to 
London, that the Queen was at the point of death, and members 
of the royal family hastened toward Osborne as swiftly as special 
trains could carry them from every part of Europe. All around 
Europe went tidings to the Kaiser, the Czar, the King of the Bel- 
gians, the King of Greece, the King of Denmark and the scores of 
the Queen's descendants, princes great and small. The Queen was 
understood to be suffering from an intestinal trouble of a cancerous 
nature, which shut off all hope of recovery. The doctors described it 
as " extreme physical prostration," but in reality it was a state of semi- 
consciousness. Added to her other ailments was her almost com- 
plete loss of sight. The only consolation for her children and near 
relatives was that she was Spared suffering. A dispatch gave a 



THE QUEEN'S EAST ILLNESS 483 

picture of the effect of the unwelcome news on the capital Saturday 
night : 

" To-night was one of the gloomiest nights London has ever 
known. Not a light flickered from Buckingham Palace, where so 
many stately functions had been ordered by the Queen. 

" The old palace of St. James, where the girlish Sovereign had 
shown herself at the window when her accession was proclaimed 
sixty-three years ago, was dark and gloomy, and there were no 
lights in Marlborough House. 

" Pall Mall was empty and silent, and the Strand was strangely 
quiet at the theatre hour. It was the first night at the Globe 
Theatre, where "Sweet Nell of Old Drury " had returned in triumph 
from the provinces, and the old playhouse was crowded to welcome 
her. "Miss Nielson has seldom acted with more pathos and dramatic 
force, and Frederick Terry as merry Charles was brilliantly effective 
but if the audience enjoyed the entertainment it did not forget the 
shadow of the impending calamity at Osborne. 

" When the plaudits ceased at the close of the play " God Save 
the Queen " was sung with fervor and solemnity, as was done also 
at every theatre and concert hall. Slowly the theatres were 
emptied, and the Strand, Whitehall and Piccadilly were quiet and 
dreary." 

ALL EYES CENTRED ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 

London was not alone in her gloom. The eyes and hearts of 
all the world were centred on the little Isle of Wight, where, at 
Cowes, stands Osborne House. America especially waited in sus- 
pense, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. In Plymouth 
Church, New York city, Sunday morning, the organist, at the 
close of the usual organ prelude, branched off into the American 
national hymn, " My Country, 'Tis of Thee." The tune being the 
same as that of " God Save the Queen," several persons in the 
congregation arose and commenced singing the English national 
anthem, having been moved by the news of the Queen's illness. 
The whole audience then stood up, and while the greater portion 



484 THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 

sang " My Country, 'Tis of Thee," the rest sang " God Save the 
Queen." Later, in his prayer, Dr. Hillis referred to the Queen. 
He said : 

V Be gracious this day unto the nation across the sea. Regard 
Thy servant, Queen Victoria, and recover her unto health and 
power if it be Thy will. And to the home where the candle 
flickers low in the socket grant the peace of God to the people 
who have always loved her, and may Thy servant be able to say 
with them : ' I live because Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort 
me. 

The night of the 20th (Saturday) the members of the royal 
family were gathered in a room adjoining the Queen's bed cham- 
ber. A collapse occurred unexpectedly about 10 o'clock, when the 
Queen had a severe sinking spell, with an increase of the paralytic 
symptoms ; and the physicians resorted to artificial methods of pro- 
longing life, such as are used only in extreme cases. Immediately 
on the occurrence of the collapse, a message was sent to London 
summoning the Prince of Wales and Emperor William, the latter 
having arrived by fast passage from Germany. The Prince of 
Wales was in such ill health that it was utterly impossible for him 
to leave London at that hour, but Monday morning he drove up 
to Osborne House, with the Emperor. A crowd met them as they 
disembarked at Cowes. Naturally, there was no cheering, but the 
men present took off their hats, and the German Emperor cordially 
and frequently responded by bowing. They drove to Osborne 
House in open carriages, arriving there at half-past eleven o'clock. 
The Prince of Wales appeared to be half dazed, and the eyes of 
the Duke of York were red, while the Duchess of Connaught did 
not cease crying. There was intense relief at Osborne House on 
the arrival of the imperial and royal party, for several times during 
the course of the morning it was feared that the Queen would not 
live to hear of the return of the Prince of Wales. By the use of 
desperate remedies, however, the Queen's feeble life was prolonged, 
and, when the Prince of Wales and Emperor William entered the 



THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 4«5 

castle grounds, they found the Queen a trifle better than had been 
expected. 

Early in the afternoon the Queen regained consciousness. 
She asked that her little Pomeranian spaniel be brought to her 
bedside. Her rally astonished no one more than her physicians, 
and when at four o'clock they heard her ask for light refreshment, 
their amazement almost equalled their delight. But they built no 
falsemopes upon these fading signs of what has been one of the 
strongest constitutions with which a woman was ever endowed. 

THE QUEEN'S ILLNESS OVERSHADOWED EVERYTHING ELSE 

In London the Queen's illness overshadowed everything else. 
Even the war in South Africa was forgotten. Lord Roberts went 
himself to Buckingham Palace to write his name in the visitors' 
book and ask for news. There was intense sadness in the rugged 
old Field Marshal's face, and he uttered not a word to the military- 
looking gentleman who accompanied him as, followed by a crowd, 
he walked up St. James Street. The mall in front of Marlborough 
House, the residence of the Prince of Wales, was blocked from 
eleven o'clock on with callers anxious to sign their names. From 
every quarter of both hemispheres expressions of sympathy and 
love poured in, and of these none was so appreciated as those from 
the United States and Canada. It was remarked that in all parts 
of America the illustrious patient was referred to under the 
simple title of " The Queen," and the deep affection implied by this 
term was greatly appreciated. The Queen's illness caused a pro- 
found sensation in Pretoria. Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria 
and King of Hungary, countermanded the Court ball at Vienna 
fixed for Monday evening. In Paris the evening papers published 
more frequent editions, which were quickly sold, and the subjects 
of the Czar of Russia freely admitted that Queen Victoria had 
been one of the principal bulwarks of peace. 

Despite the favorable afternoon, the doctors dreaded greatly 
the period between six o'clock and midnight. When that was 
27 



486 THE QUEEN'S EAST ILENESS 

safely passed, they seemed hopeful that the Queen would live at 
least through another day, although the memory of the previous 
night's relapse kept their anxiety at high tension. Well were they 
anxious, for it was the last midnight the Queen was to pass. 

THE LAST SCENE 

Tuesday came, the twenty-second of January, 1901. It was 
feared that the Queen was dying about nine in the morning-, and 
carriages were sent to Osborne Cottage and the Rectory to bring 
all the Princes and Princesses and the Bishop of Winchester to her 
bedside. It seemed then very near the end; but, when things 
looked the worst, the Queen had one of the rallies due to her won- 
derful constitution, opened her eyes, and recognized the Prince of 
Wales, the Princess and Emperor William. She asked to see one 
of her faithful servants, a member of the household. He hastened 
to the room. Before he got there the Queen had passed into a 
fitful sleep. Four o'clock marked the beginning of the end. Again 
the family were summoned, and this time the relapse was not fol- 
lowed by recovery. 

Around her were gathered nearly all the descendants of her 
line. Well within view of her dying eyes there hung a portrait of 
the Prince Consort. It was he who designed the room and every 
part of the castle. In scarcely audible words the white-haired 
Bishop of Winchester prayed beside her, as he had often prayed 
with his Sovereign, for he was her chaplain at Windsor. With 
bowed heads the imperious ruler of the German Empire and the 
man who is now Kino- of England, the woman who has succeeded 
to the title of Queen, the Princes and Princesses, and those of less 
than royal designation, listened to the Bishop's ceaseless prayer. 

Six o'clock passed. The Bishop continued his intercession. 
One of the younger children asked a question in shrill, childish 
treble, and was immediately silenced. The women of this royal 
family sobbed faintly and the men shuffled uneasily. 



THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 487 

At exactly half-past six Sir James Reid held up his hand, and 
the people in the room knew that England had lost her Queen. 
The Bishop pronounced the Benediction. 

The Queen passed away quite peacefully. She suffered no 
pain. Those who were now mourners went to their rooms. The 
Prince of Wales was very much affected when the doctors at last 
informed him that his mother had breathed her last. Emperor 
William, himself deeply affected, did his best to minister comfort to 
his sorrow-stricken uncle, whose new dignity he was the first to 
acknowledge. A few minutes later the inevitable element of 
materialism stepped into this pathetic chapter of international 
history, for the court ladies went busily to work ordering their 
mourning from London. The wheels of the world were jarred 
when the announcement came ; but in this palace at Osborne every- 
thing pursued the usual course. 

THE NEWS SPREADS 

The outside world was not long in hearing of the event. The 
watchers at the lodge-gates had waited nervously. Suddenly along 
the drive from the house came a horseman, who cried as he dashed 
through the crowds, "The Queen is dead !" 

Then down the hillside rushed a myriad of messengers, pass- 
ing the fateful bulletin from one to another. Soon the surround- 
ing country knew that a King ruled over Great Britain. The local 
inhabitants walked as if in a dream through the streets of Cowes, 
but they did not hesitate to stop to drink the health of the new 
monarch. 

The news was announced in London by the following dis- 
patch from the Prince of Wales to the Lord-Mayor : 

Osborne;, 6:45 p.m. 
My beloved mother has just passed away, surrounded by her children and 
grandchildren. Albert Edward. 

The Lord-Mayor replied to the Prince of Wales as follows : 



4 88 THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 

Your Royal Highness' telegram announcing the nation's great loss I have 
received with profound distress and grief, and have communicated this most 
sad intimation to my fellow-citizens. Her Majesty's name and memory will 
forever live in the hearts of her people. 

May I respectfully convey to your Royal Highness and to all the mem- 
bers of the royal family the earnest sympathy and condolence of the City of 
L,ondon in your great sorrow ? 

Two hours before the receipt of the Prince's telegram given 
above, this bulletin was posted at the Mansion House : 

Osborne, 4 p.m. 
My painful duty obliges me to inform you that the life of our beloved 
Queen is in the greatest danger. Albert Edward. 

A-scrap of paper a foot square, posted on the wall of the Man- 
sion House at 6:58 o'clock gave the first notice to London's home- 
ward-hurrying thousands of the death of the Queen-Empress and 
the advent of a King. Excavations by which the street had been 
torn up made access to the bulletin difficult. But the bared heads 
of a silent group under a flickering gas-jet told the crowds on the 
'bus tops and sidewalks that the Queen was no more. 

A quarter of an hour later more than a thousand newsboys 
had invaded the streets with black - ruled newspapers, crying, 
" Death of the Oueen!" while through the dark streets boomed 
the deep-toned notes of the big bell of St. Paul's Cathedral and the 
bells of the city churches re-echoing the news. 

The bell tolled at St. Paul's Cathedral was the gift of William 
III., and is used only on occasions of the death of royal person- 
ages, Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord-Mayors of London and 
Bishops of London. The tolling continued for two hours at inter- 
vals of a minute, and could be heard for miles in the direction of 
the wind. Some hundreds of people stood in front of the Cathe- 
dral around the spot where Queen Victoria prayed on the sixtieth 
anniversary of her accession to the throne. 

The death of the Queen was heard everywhere with sorrow, 
and the new ruler received the condolences of the world. President 







I "fa 



, - 



4 







SOLDIERS OF THE Q" EEN at Netley Hospital, 

Her M,es ty d eco rating P- VicW a fy P K ■££« ~* «* *« 

Drawnby.l.Finnemore.K.B.A. 



THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 491 

McKinley sent a message of condolence and received a reply from 
King- Edward. 

The United States Senate was in executive session when news 
of the Queen's death arrived. The bulletin announcing the event 
was passed in through the doorkeepers. When the executive ses- 
sion closed, Senator Allison offered the following resolution, which 
was adopted unanimously and ordered to be engrossed and for- 
warded to the Prime Minister of Great Britain : 

" That the death of her royal and imperial Majesty, Victoria, 
of noble virtues and great renown, is sincerely deplored by the 
Senate of the United States of America." 

In the House Representative Hitt offered the following : 

''■Resolved, That the House of Representatives of the United 
States of America has learned with profound sorrow of the death 
of her Majesty, Queen Victoria, and sympathizes with her people 
in the loss of their beloved Sovereign ; that the President be 
requested to communicate this expression of the sentiment of the 
House to the Government of Great Britain ; that, as a further mark 
of respect to the memory of Queen Victoria, the House do now 
adjourn." 

The reading of the resolution was listened to in impressive 
silence and unanimously adopted, and the House adjourned. 

The flag on the Executive Mansion was placed at halfmast at 
3.30 o'clock. So far as any record goes, this was the first time in 
the history of the United States that this mark of respect had been 
paid to the memory of a foreign ruler. The papers contained 
editorials praising the character of the Queen, and devoted columns 
to accounts of her life and reign. 

Queen Victoria's body was embalmed and the casket reposed 
in the centre of the dining-room, which was hung with trappings 
of mourning. Two Indian attendants remained within, in company 
with the ladies-in-waiting. The body was robed in black. The face 
was perfectly peaceful, and the remains were placed with the arms 
folded. On the breast rested a beautiful gold cross. The head 



49 2 THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 

was inclined slightly to the right. All about were quantities of 
flowers. 

The honor of first seeing the body of the Queen was conferred 
on her personal retinue, and such a simple, pathetic scene as 
marked the afternoon could hardly have occurred in any other 
monarchy. All the servants and tenants were admitted. The foot- 
men, housemaids, coachmen, stable-lads and policemen, dressed in 
their Sunday clothes, filed through the room for four hours. 

There were no formalities. It might have been the body of 
any country lady, whose tenants were bidding her a last farewell. 
Bent old men, children and families, who had grown up on the 
estate, who regarded Queen Victoria as a friend and patron rather 
than as a sovereign, took their turn, and their grief was the sorrow 
of those who had lost a friend. Many humble residents of Cowes 
and neighboring towns, besides many prominent people were early 
to pay their last sad tribute of affection. 

THE NEW KING 

The Prince of Wales now became King, and without Act of 
Parliament he assumed the prerogatives of his office. The King 
departed for London early on the following morning, and as 
unostentatiously as an American President. He and his suite, in 
civilian attire, left the castle without a military escort and with no 
sign of pomp. 

The route from Osborne House to Trinity Pier was deserted, 
except for a few groups of bareheaded persons, when, at 9.40 
o'clock, three open carriages drawn by white horses galloped down 
the hill. In the first carriage were the King, the Duke of Con- 
naught, the Duke of York and Prince Christian. The King seemed 
sad but bowed repeatedly in acknowledgment of the greeting of 
his subjects. The royal personages immediately embarked on the 
royal yacht Alberta. The royal standard was hoisted as the King 
touched the deck. As the Alberta started off, signals were shown, 
ordering that no salutes should be fired. The crews of the cruiser 



THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 493 

Australia and the other royal yachts were mustered as the Alberta 
steamed by. The commencement of the King's first voyage was a 
memorable and impressive event. 

On the twenty-fourth the ceremonies of the King's acces- 
sion to the throne were performed, after which he returned to 
Osborne. On the twenty-fifth the royal family took their last loving 
look at the features of the dead Queen. About 10 o'clock in the 
morning the shell, or inner coffin, was brought into the bedroom, 
where were waiting King Edward, Emperor William, the Duke of 
Connaught, Sir James Reid and the royal-ladies. The latter having 
retired, Sir James Reid, with reverent hands, assisted by three 
trusted household .servants, and in the presence of the King, the 
Emperor and the Duke, removed the body from the bed to the 
coffin. In death it was lovelier than in the closing days of life. 
Not a trace of the ravages of disease was visible. 

The servants having retired, Queen Alexandra, the Princess 
and the children were recalled, and, with lingering steps and stifled 
sobs, they passed slowly before the white-robed and peaceful figure. 
At the foot, never moving, stood the King, and when the mourn- 
ing crowd had passed there remained only the son and grandson of 
the dead. 

THE COFFIN CLOSED FOREVER 

Emperor William wept even more bitterly than the royal 
ladies. Finally he also retired, and the King was left alone. Sir 
James Reid, beckoning to the servants who were holding the coffin- 
lid, asked the King's instructions, For a few seconds the King 
stood speechless, stricken with emotion at the last farewell. Then 
he said quickly, " Close it finally. It must not be opened again." 
Thus the remains of England's greatest ruler were forever closed 
from human view. 

Reverentlv the coffin was borne into the dining-room. Officers 
and men from the royal yachts took their stand around the coffin, 
over which the King, Queen and Kaiser gently laid the robes of a 



494 THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 

Knight of the Garter, placing at the head a diamond crown. 
Beneath lay the royal ensign, while hanging above was the Union 
Jack. 

At the altar was the rector of Whippingham, who read a por- 
tion of the funeral service in the presence of the royal family. 
Emperor William covered his face with his hands, and the grief of 
Princess Beatrice, so long the companion of her mother, was pitiful. 
After the benediction each placed a wreath upon the coffin, and 
then all retired. 

By a special request of the family, the authorities at St. Paul's 
Cathedral had sent to Osborne the six candelabra used at the 
funeral of the Duke of Wellington. 

Sunday, the 27th, all places of worship throughout the 
United Kingdom held services in memory of Queen Victoria. 
At St. Paul's Cathedral there was an unusual scene. Before 9 
o'clock in the morning an enormous crowd, wholly attired in black, 
streamed from all directions to the vast edifice, and by 10 o'clock 
it was packed. Thousands, unable to obtain admission, stood vainly 
waiting on the steps and around listening to the low organ strains 
and muffled peals. The service began at half-past 10. The Most 
Rev. Frederick Temple, Primate and Archbishop of Canterbury, 
preached a touching sermon, while the breathless thousands in 
silence repressed their grief. 

There was a similar scene at Westminster Abbey, where all 
the services throughout the day were attended by enormous con- 
gregations. The large assemblage in the Chapel Royal, at St. 
James' Palace, included Princess Frederica of Hanover, Prince 
Francis of Teck, a host of titled people, many members of the 
Cabinet and other distinguished persons. 

At Osborne, also, a memorial service was held. Lord Roberts 
and Mr. William St. John Broderick, Secretary of State for War, 
were present at morning prayers in Whippingham Church at 11 
o'clock. An hour later King Edward, Queen Alexandra and all 
the royal personages now at Osborne arrived at the church for the 



THE QUEEN'S LAST ILLNESS 495 

memorial service. This was a simple function, the hymns beinp- 
sung by an unsurpliced choir of school children. Sir Walter Par*- 
ratt, private organist to the late Queen and organist to St. George's 
Chapel Royal, Windsor, played several funeral excerpts. The 
Bishop of Winchester delivered an eloquent panegyric upon Vic- 
toria, and declared that Emperor William's action in coming to her 
deathbed had touched the hearts of the British people and 
cemented the unity and friendship of the two kindred nations. At 
the conclusion of the service all stood during a performance of 
the "Dead March." 

Then for more than a week the body rested at Osborne 
House while the imposing ceremonies of Victoria's funeral were 
being arranged. 




THE MAP OF THE WORLD AT TIME OF VICTORIA'S BIRTH 
Showing the possessions of the six great Powers— Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, Russia and 
the United States. Of the Chinese Empire, Africa and Australia, little was 
known at the beginning of the century. 




THE MAP OF THE WORLD AT END OF VICTORIA'S REIGN 

Showing the political boundaries of the six great Powers at the close of the century. Africa, Australia 

and portions of China have been absorbed by on; or more of the gr ?.at Po.vjrs. 

Spain has withdrawn from the Western Hemisphere, and South 

America is held by independent governments. 

496 




CHAPTER XXIX 

The Imposing Funeral Pageant 

THER rulers have had obsequies of imposing splendor, 
but the ceremonies that marked the passing of Victoria 
were supreme in their manifestations of regard and sorrow. 

The spectacle of the millions of her people bowed in grief was 
sublime. Their silence was an eloquent tribute "of their sorrow. 
It was a procession such as the world had never seen before. 

The Queen was the first English sovereign who was not buried 
at night and by torchlight. After the death of Prince Albert, she 
wrote, in 1862, and later revised, explicit directions concerning her 
funeral. It was her wish that the ceremonial should copy that of 
the Prince Consort, so far as possible. Her plans were not altered 
in any material respect, and her wishes were reverently followed. 

The journey from Osborne, where she breathed her last, to 
Windsor Castle, where her body was entombed, was taken in three 
stages — the naval procession from Osborne to Portsmouth harbor, 
the land cavalcade from the harbor to Windsor, and the simple 
final transfer from the chapel at Windsor to the mausoleum at 
Frogmore. It was fitting that the navy and army, Neptune and Mars, 
should lend their services to the royal mourners, that the last tributes 
might be worthily paid to the Sovereign of a people invincible in 
war, on land and on sea. And worthily were they paid ! Through 
that capital that had so often shown a devotion to her beyond that 
usually accorded to monarchs, passed an imposing escort led by 
Edward VII. and four monarchs of friendly and related powers. 

Not that it was a cortege of display. On the contrary, its 
magnificence lay in its simplicity and its dignity. The lavish pomp 

497 



49 3 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL. 



of rulers less beloved fade away before this spectacle unique in the his- 
tory of nations — the spectacle of the metropolis of the world awed 
into mournful silence — business and pleasure ceased for a while — 
to witness the solemn procession of the beloved dead. It has been 
many a long day since a monarch of England was buried, and many 
a reign must yet pass before the like of the Victorian pageant is 
seen again, But let us with reverence start with the last rites as 
they began on Friday, the 2d of February, at Osborne House, on 
the Isle of Wight. For nine days the beloved Queen had been 
mourned by her children in Osborne House, waiting for the time 
of her removal to her permanent resting place. The funeral cere- 
monies began at noon, when the Bishop of Winchester conducted 
services in the chapel, where the Queen's body lay. Over the 
coffin was thrown the coronation robe worn by the girl Queen, and 
on this was placed the royal regalia, wand, sceptre, and crown, 
which were scarcely ever used by the Queen in her lifetime. Soon 
after one o'clock a gun-carriage drawn by six horses approached the 
house, accompanied by men wearing the blue uniforms and yellow- 
braided jackets of the Royal Horse Artillery. The carriage was 
halted at the door of Osborne House. A group of the blue-jackets 
from the Queen's favorite yacht, Alberta, stood behind the artillery- 
men. 

THE CORTEGE FROM OSBORNE 

The Queen's Highlanders, wearing short blue jackets with sil- 
ver buttons, the royal Stuart tartan and kilts and white horsehair 
sporrans, entered the royal doorway at 1.20 o'clock, and ten 
minutes later from within the house, through the glass porch, the 
cloaked coffin was borne into the sunlight and placed at rest on the 
gun carriage. Then, bareheaded, came the Queen's male de- 
scendants. King Edward, Emperor William and the Duke of 
Connaught formed the first row. The King and the Kaiser wore 
the uniforms of British admirals and the Duke of Connaught that 
of a British general. 




- ■ ■ ~^™r™™ ™. ™ ee , 

palace grounds to commemorate her reign of Sixty year's P ' a "' ee in li 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 501 

The spectacle of two great monarchs, followed by the women 
of their families and the noblest princes of Europe, walking silently 
along the country road behind the bier, blazing with precious stones, 
will live long in the memory of those who saw it. But to most 
of our readers who have not witnessed such a spectacle the descrip- 
tions given us by the gifted men and women whose business it was 
to see and report these last hours, will be a helpful and an interest- 
ing story. In their own way we shall largely let them tell it. The 
head of the procession emerged from the royal entrance to Osborne, 
the scarlet bands rousing the country echoes with the grand strains 
of the funeral marches. The crowds massed behind the solid lines 
of troops first showed admiration, and then a keen realization of the 
cause of the ceremony. 

The pathos of the thought inspired lost nothing by the scrutiny 
of the King. His features were seared and bore the mark of grief. 
But in all that assemblage there will ever stand out one face — that 
of the German Emperor. Its tanned, almost olive, contours were 
turned fiercely toward the sun, and it was apparent that the 
Emperor was undergoing a mental strain. 

A TRULY PATHETIC SIGHT 

Hardly was there time to recognize the individuality of these 
personages before the most truly pathetic sight of the day came 
into view. It was a simple little band in black, for all the world 
like the sisters of some religious order mourning humbly for one of 
their number who had passed away. None were distinguishable 
from the others. They all wore plain black dresses, with long crape 
veils, and they followed meekly and with downcast heads. Yet, 
the first was the Oueen of England, and with her was the woman 
who, if she lives, will also hold the proud title. 

Immediately behind the Queen and the Princesses came the 
heads of the household, in strange, gaudy uniforms seldom seen in 
public. There have been more magnificent pageants thant his we 
discribe but never has there been witnessed, a procession more 



5 o2 THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 

remarkable in its combination of pomp and splendor with grief 
and humility. 

The coffin, carried by sailors, was preceded by pipers, and was 
covered with the royal robes and regalia. The procession marched 
slowly down the winding cedar-hedged path until the gate was 
reached, where the glittering military escort was met, and the cor- 
tege pursued its sluggish way in the midst of intense silence, save 
the music of the bands. 

As the khaki-colored gun carriage, followed by the King, with 
the Emperor of Germany and the Duke of Connaught on his right 
and left, passed down the hill, all hats were doffed. 

The pipers had followed the first dirge by the touching lament, 
"The Flowers of the Forest," which represents the withering of 
the last and best of them. As they reached the Queen's gate and 
wailed their closing strain, the muffled drums rolled out with oft- 
recurring rhythmic beats, and the massed bands burst forth into 
the magnificent music of Chopin's "Funeral March." Off went 
every hat, every woman curtsied low, the troops reversed arms and 
leaned their bended heads over them, still as statues, pictures of 
unutterable woe. 

The landing quay was surrounded by hundreds of boats as the 
procession approached. Eight bronzed and bearded tars were 
drawn up ready to receive their burden. Then came the grenadiers, 
resplendent in their busbies and scarlet, and quickly formed a circle 
around the court. A second later the King and the Emperor and 
their suites appeared. As the carriage stopped before the gangway 
of the Alberta, loud orders rang out, a sharp movement ran through 
the stalwart line of grenadiers, their arms were instantly reversed up 
to their hats, and, with equal precision, came the hands of the 
Emperor, King and the Duke of Connaught in courteous salute. 

With perfect precision the coffin was lifted off the gun car- 
riage and carried on board the yacht. Once more the grenadiers 
came to the "present," as the King, followed by his relatives, 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 503 

stepped down the gangway, and the regalia and robes were replaced 
on the coffin. 

The King boarded a steam launch and went off to the royal 
yacht Victoria and Albert Shortly afterwards the other mourn- 
ers boarded the royal yachts, and the Alberta, with her solemn 
burden, moved away from the pier, and passed the ships which lay 
waiting in the sunlit Solent. 

THE IMPOSING LINES OF WARSHIPS 

Meanwhile, at Portsmouth, where the cortege was to land, an 
immense throng of spectators had gathered, who crowded thickly 
the bastions and promontories and every point from which a view 
of the sea could be obtained. Thousands were waiting on tugs and 
yachts, viewing the imposing lines of warships that stretched from 
opposite Southsea to the Isle of Wight, and between which the 
Alberta was to make her way. These small visiting craft, the glis- 
tening sunshine and the huge bulwarks of the battleships in the 
background, presented a scene of surpassing grandeur. 

The foreign ships attracted most of the attention of the Eng- 
lish spectators. Giant of the whole fleet was the Japanese battle- 
ship Hatsuse, the largest war-machine afloat. Emperor William's 
navy was represented by the Nymphe, Victoria Luise, Hagen and 
Baden, all blue-gray colored upper works, The Hagen was flying 
Prince Henry of Prussia's flag, yellow arms on a white field. 

The Depuy de Lome, under France's tricolor, was a fine sight. 
Portugal was represented by the cruiser Don Carlos. The Emperor 
Carlos V. of Spain, had, through an accident to her engine, been 
forced to turn back to port, and the absence of any man-of-war in 
British waters prevented the United States from adding its quota 
to the imposing spectacle of naval power. 

Shortly before 3 o'clock white smoke broke from the Majestic s 
sides, and a second later, a report cracked over the harbor, and 
echoed to the hill, announcing the starting of the Alberta from 
Trinity pier. From ship to ship the salute was passed down the 



5 o4 THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 

line. Each vessel of the fleet was firing minute guns. They all 
employed their shore side batteries, so that on the channel sides 
were silhouettes of hulls, spars and ironwork, before backgrounds 
of dense gray smoke. The sound was that of a great battle. 

The band of each ship took up the funeral march as the 
Alberta came abreast of her, and the spectators on all the other 
craft took off their hats. When the Alberta entered the harbor, 
with the minute guns in the forts sounding and the bells of all the 
churches of the city tolling, the ancient frigate Victory fired a salute 
from muzzle-loaders. The marines manning her stood at arms. 
The Admiral's band played a dirge. The escorting torpedo-boat 
destroyers drew ahead and steamed to their berths, and the Alberta 
was moored in Clarence Yards, and a guard of a hundred marines 
marched on board. During the night the bier rested on the quar- 
ter-deck, which was lighted with electricity, while chief among the 
officers aboard was Vice-Admiral Seymour, who recently played a 
distinguished part in the China campaign. 

ENTERING LONDON 

At 9 o'clock on the morning of February 2d, the coffin of 
Britain's Queen was carried on shore under a naval and military 
guard, and placed in the special royal train by which she had often 
traveled in her journeys from Windsor to the coast and which 
we have described in another chapter. The engine and car- 
riages were heavily draped, and so also were the special trains 
conveying the members of the royal households. Half an hour 
elapsed before the kings, princes and princesses who had slept 
on board the royal and imperial yachts were in their places in the 
train, and the last tributes of respect and the military and naval 
honors were completed. The trains moved off as the distant guns of 
the fleet and forts were booming. Their passage was watched all the 
way from the coast by silent throngs at the stations along the line. 

After 11 o'clock, the engine, draped in purple and white, and 
displaying a large metallic crown, steamed into Victoria Station, 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 505 

and drew up beside a platform carpeted with purple cloth, on which 
a large waiting-room with purple hangings had been erected for the 
convenience of the royal mourners. A gun carriage was opposite 
the funeral car; horses for the Kings and Princes and carriages for 
Queen Alexandra and the Princesses were not far away, and two 
hundred Foot Guards were posted in the station as a guard of 
honor, with a mounted escort of nearly a hundred Life Guards in 
the outer courtyard. The public had been excluded for a full 
hour from the inclosure of Victoria Station, and all approaches to 
it and Buckingham Palace Road were in possession of military forces. 

The route of the funeral cortege was about three miles long, 
leading from Victoria Station, by Buckingham Palace Road, across 
St. James' Park to Pall Mall, thence by St. James' Street and Pic- 
cadilly to Hyde Park Corner and the Marble Arch, and finally by 
Edgeware Road to Paddington Station. It was lined all the way 
by regulars and volunteers, with mounted forces at every street 
crossing, and with special guards of honor at railway stations and 
Buckingham and St. James' Palaces. About twenty-five thousand 
troops were employed in guarding the route from an early hour in 
the morning. 

The gray dawn of a London morning, with the sky draped 
with fleecy clouds, proclaimed ideal conditions for the funeral day 
of England's Queen. The calm serenity of the atmosphere was 
reflected by the crowds which at daylight began to assemble at 
every point of vantage along the route of the royal obsequies. So 
soft, peaceful and noiseless was the progress of the ingathering 
hosts that the constantly swelling throngs and the tread of the 
assembling troops seemed to accentuate the solemn stillness. 

The scenes were unlike those of many spectacular days which 
London has witnessed in the past. The crowds which so early 
gathered in the streets evinced an entire lack of feverish unrest 
and excitement. The great masses of police which assembled, 
phantom-like in the grayness of the morning, seemed more apolo- 
getically to tiptoe to their allotted stations, as though their presence 

28 



5 o6 THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 

reflected on the solemnity dominating everything. Never did a 
concourse of people so little need either civil or military guidance. 
No man standing by his mother's bier ever needed admonition less 
than did these hundreds of thousands of men and women, gathered 
from all parts of the kingdom on the funeral route of their mother, 
the Queen. 

In the great green spaces of Hyde Park, St. James and others, 
long black lines stood silhouetted against the morning sky, solemn, 
silent and picturesque, staunchly stemming the onrush of that end- 
less flood of people pouring in from every street and avenue. Pur- 
ple was the tone of the royal mourning, and this seemed almost a 
relief, contrasted with these silent masses of black-garbed crowds. 
It was the true note, after all, of the day's ceremonial, for no one 
among England's heart-stricken people could look upon the finished 
life of their Queen with feelings of entire gloom. The procession, 
apart from the gun carriage bearing the coffin and the royal family 
and official mourners about it, was not noteworthy. Parliament, 
the judiciary and the commercial bodies were not represented. 
Royalty, the army and navy monopolized the pageant. Three 
thousand soldiers and sailors, picked companies representing all 
branches of the service, cavalry, artillery, infantry, yeomanry, 
militia, volunteers and colonials, formed the advance escort. They 
marched slowly and without music. Most of the uniforms were 
covered with dark overcoats and the standards were draped with 
black, the officers wearing bands of crape on their sleeves. The 
infantry marched in columns of four, with rifles reversed. They 
were half an hour in passing. Then came Field Marshal Earl 
Roberts and his staff, and, after them, four massed bands playing 
funeral marches. Three hundred musicians announced the coming 
of the body of the Queen. There was a long array of Court offi- 
cials, under the leadership of the Duke of Norfolk (the Earl Mar- 
shal), all attired quaintly and brilliantly, bearing maces or wands, 
most of them elderly men who for years had served the royal lady 
for whom they were performing the last offices. 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 507 

Most of the spectators expected an imposing catafalque, but 
the coffin was almost past before they recognized its presence by 
removing their hats. It was a pathetically small oblong block con- 
cealed beneath a rich pall of white satin, on the corners of which 
gleamed the royal arms. Across the pall the royal standard was 
draped, and a large crown of gold, encrusted with jewels, rested at 
the head of the coffin, which was at the end of the gun carriage, 
just over the gun. On the foot of the coffin were two smaller 
crowns with a gold, jeweled sceptre lying between them. The eight 
cream-colored horses which drew the gun carriage were almost con- 
cealed beneath their rich harnesses. A large bow of purple was 
attached to the coffin. This was the only symbol of mourning. 

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE DRAPERY 

Around the coffin walked the stalwart bearers, non-commis- 
sioned officers of the guards and household cavalry, and on either 
side were the Queen's equerries, lords-in-waiting and physicians. 
All the uniforms were covered with long, dark cloaks. The spec- 
tacle was so quickly past that the spectators hardly realized it or 
had time to bare their heads and comprehend the details, when a 
group of magnificently-attired horsemen, with sparkling helmets and 
coats, mounted on beautiful chargers, was before them. 

Immediately after the company about the coffin three royal 
mourners rode abreast. King Edward VII. was the central figure 
of the three, but no less ostentatious personage was seen in the 
procession. A black ckapeau, with a plume of white feathers was 
on his head and a long black cloak was buttoned around him and 
hung down over the big black horse which he was riding. The 
King's familiar face seemed grave and careworn. He looked 
straight ahead, apparently at the gun carriage on which was the 
body of the Sovereign whose glory and responsibilities he had 
inherited. 

Beside King Edward rode Emperor William, his nephew 
and neighbor. The unique, commanding figure of the German 



5 o8 THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 

Emperor could not for a moment be mistaken. He looked every 
inch a soldier and the commander of men. He glanced right and 
left as he rode, and his hand was frequently raised to the red and 
white feathers hanging over his hat as he responded to salutes. 
He wore a black cloak over his new British Field Marshal's uniform, 
and the splendid white charger beneath him pranced up and down, 
giving him an opportunity to display his fine horsemanship. On the 
King's left rode his brother, the Duke of Connaught, a man of 
soldierly appearance, but almost unnoticed and unrecognized by the 
people. Behind the three chief mourners were their equerries and 
mounted aids, with the Duke of Portland as Master of the Horse 
and the Silverstick, in full uniform. Following close were forty 
sovereigns, heirs to thrones and Princes of English, German and 
Continental lines, all mounted and in military uniform. Prominent 
among them were the olive-skinned, dark-eyed King of Portugal, 
with a luxuriant, curled moustache and a sharp-featured, angular 
face ; the King of Greece, prematurely bald ; the Crown Prince of 
Denmark, with close resemblance to his uncle from Athens ; the 
Crown Prince of Sweden, with eye-glasses, waxed mustache, and 
the face of a student ; the boyish Duke of Aosta, hardly at home 
on a horse ; the Archduke Franz- Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary ; 
the Grand Duke Michael, with typical Russian features ; Prince 
Henry of Prussia, tall and manly, and the Crown Princes of 
Roumania, Germany, Greece and Siam. 

The funeral cortege reached Paddington at about i o'clock, 
and the military section passed rapidly out by the cab-exit without 
checking the movement of the Queen's bodyguard and the royal 
mourners. The officers of the Guards and the Household Cavalry 
carried the coffin to the train, and the Kings, Princes, Princesses and 
Court ladies were escorted to the railway compartments. There 
was carpeting the entire length of the platform, and the whole north 
wall was draped with scarlet and festooned with white and purple 
hangings. The train was delayed until 1.30, and did not reach 
Windsor until after 2 o'clock. 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 509 

Its arrival was announced by minute guns, and the arrange- 
ments carried out at Victoria Station were repeated at Windsor, 
with slight variation, apart from the absence of the great military 
escort. The military guard of honor was drawn up at present 
arms, and the second bearer party of officers of the Guards 
removed the coffin from the train and placed it on a gun carriage, 
the third used since the closing scene at Osborne. 

ARRIVAL AT WINDSOR 

As the coffin was lifted by grenadiers the diplomatists and 
officers stood at the salute. Hardly had the coffin reached the gun 
carriage when a dramatic incident occurred. The order had just 
been given to start, the muffled drums rolled, and, to the strains of 
Chopin's funeral march, the head of the procession had actually 
moved off, when it was found impossible to induce the artillery 
horses to move. They had grown cold from long waiting in the 
biting wind, became restive, and narrowly missed overturning the 
gun carriage. The distressing incident was brought to an end by 
Lord Roberts, who asked the King's permission to take out the 
horses and replace them by the men of the naval guard of honor. 
The order "pile arms" rang out, and the clean-shaven smart-look- 
ing handy men doubled to the front, and evoked the admiration of 
all by the speed with which they removed the refractory horses, 
improvised ropes out of the traces, and started the gun carriage 
with its precious burden toward the chapel. 

The incident occurred at the spot where Roderick MacLean 
shot at the Queen in 18S2. The refractory horses only delayed the 
procession fifteen minutes, as by then one hundred and thirty blue- 
jackets had harnessed themselves to the gun carriage and the pro- 
cession moved on at a sluggish pace. The coffin, with the same 
insignia surmounting it as in London, was followed by an escort of 
life guards; then came the officials of the Heralds' College, Lord 
Roberts, with the headquarters staff ; deputations from the Russian 
regiments, etc. 



5 io THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 

King Edward, Emperor William, and the Duke of Connaught 
followed the bier closely, After them walked the Princes, foreign 
representatives, and yeomen of the guard, with the military escort 
bringing up the rear. The start of the cortege was signalized by 
minute salutes fired by guns posted on the long walk, which were 
continued until eighty-one shots had been fired, one for each com- 
pleted year of the dead Queen's age. 

Without further incident the procession moved into the long 
walk, thence up the sovereign drive to the grand quadrangle, where 
it passed beneath the dead Queen's favorite rooms, and thus on to 
St. George's Chapel. So, with the jeweled crown and the glitter- 
ing orb of empire laid aside, the Queen had returned to royal 
Windsor. 

st. george's chapel 

St. George's Chapel was a magnificent sight, and divided atten- 
tion with the officials and College of Heralds, gorgeous in quaint 
mantles, tabards, and insignia, and the mediaeval-looking yeomen 
of the guard, carrying their halberds at slope. 

The great east window of the chapel, with its faint stained 
figures, threw a soft light over this burial and worshipping place of 
kings. Before each oaken stall glimmered the waxen taper that 
burns when Knights of the Garter worship there. Above their 
heads, resting upon the carved sabres of the stalls, were the special 
insignia of each knight, while hanging over this were the motion- 
less banners bearing the strange devices of the members of this 
most powerful order. On each side of the chancel flamed two 
rows of candles, causing the gold and red of the knights to glitter. 
In sombre contrast with these rows of light and color sat the long 
line of Princesses and ladies-in-waiting, making a foreground of 
deepest black. On the altar two tapers burned, and within the 
rail on each side stood two large candelabra. 

The profusion of flowers which was displayed outside the 
chapel ceased within. On the chancel only a very few lilies and 
the most delicate green ferns were used for the altar decorations. 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 5" 

At the entrance to that grand Tudor chapel, while bells were 
tolling and minute guns were booming, the dean, prebendaries and 
choir waited for the heralds to pass through, and then led the way 
through the nave into the choir, were the coffin was set down by 
its bearers in the centre. The King took his place at the head of 
the coffin, with Lord Pembroke and the Duke of Norfolk on either 
side, and' Lord Clarendon at the foot. The German Emperor, 
Oueen Alexandra and eighty royal personages were assigned to 
their proper places with the inflexible rigidity of Court etiquette 
as ordered since the reign of Henry VIII. The foreign ambas- 
sadors and envoys were in the gallery. 

It was a stately pageant with military uniforms, decorations 
and knightly collars, with white rosettes all toned down by black. 
There were less than a thousand witnesses of the burial service, 
which followed without change the regular burial office of the 
English Church, the anthem and hymns having a plain musical 
setting, in accordance with the Queen's taste. The Bishop of Win- 
chester and the Dean of Windsor read the service as far as the 
commitment sentences and prayers, these being deferred until the 
final services at Frogmore. 

AN OLD CUSTOM REVIVED 

When the anthem had been sung there was a last touch of 
medievalism. William Henry Weldon, Norroy King-of-Arms, 
intervened to announce officially the termination of the Victorian 
reign. In a clear, resonant voice, ringing like a trumpet through 
the historic chapel, with its memories of knights of the Garter and 
its traditions of the glory of royalty, he pronounced, as Garter 
King-of-Arms, the various styles and titles of Queen Victoria, 

Empress of India. 

So ended the stately obsequies of the good and gracious 
Queen, ruler of hearts in England, Europe and America, while 
closely-timed commemorative services were held simultaneously in 



5I2 THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 

St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, every English cathedral and thou- 
sands of places of worship in London and throughout the Empire. 
On Monday, February 4th, the last honors to the departed 
Queen were paid. The final ceremonies were of a deeply pathetic 
character. Shortly before 3 o'clock, in the presence of the royal 
mourners, the Grenadier Guard of Honor lifted the casket from its 
temporary resting-place in the Albert Memorial Chapel and placed 
it on a gun carriage. In the meanwhile the Queen's company of 
grenadiers, drawn up in the quadrangle, presented arms and 
wheeled into line, their rifles at the reverse, and, with slow, 
measured steps, marched towards the castle gate. 

At the head of the procession was a band playing Chopin's 
funeral march. Slowly the cortege passed under the massive arch- 
way on to the Long Walk, which was a mass of black, brilliantly 
edged with scarlet. Life Guardsmen kept the crowd back. 

In place on the gun carriage was the same regalia which had 
attracted the eyes of millions since the march to the grave began 
at Osborne. Close behind walked the King, Duke of Connaught, 
Emperor William, and the other royal mourners, wearing dark 
military overcoats and plumed cocked hats. Next came Queen 
Alexandra and the Royal Princesses, followed by several children 
of royal birth. The rear of the procession was brought up by the 
suites of the Kings and Princes, their vari-colored overcoats form- 
ing a striking patch of color. 

Down the Long Walk, with the band still playing Chopin's 
dirge, this quiet throng slowly made its way to the mausoleum. 

From the Albert Memorial Chapel to the mausoleum, nearly 
a mile from the Great Gate of the castle, there is a steep slope of 
500 yards, at the bottom of which is the lodge-gate and a fence. 
On the castle side of this were hundreds of ticket-holders. On the 
other side, where the Long Walk commenced, the public was massed. 

At the lodge-gates the strains of the band died away, and the 
pipers commenced their lament. There, between the broad avenue 
of trees, the crowds were the thickest, forming dense black banks. 



THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 513 

By 3.30 r. m. the crowned bier had passed into the other lodge, 
which leads to the Frogmore enclosure, where none but the family 
and servants were admitted. Dismounted Life Guardsmen, in 
their scarlet cloaks, the white plumes of their helmets glistening in 
the sun, kept the route clear from the castle slope. Amid the bare 
boughs of trees below the mist arose from the damp earth, trampled 
into mud by the waiting multitude. The air was sharp and cold. 

LAID TO REST IN FROGMORE 

A picturesque touch of color was added to the scene as Sir 
Walter Parratt, principal organist to the late Queen, and organist 
of St. George's Chapel Royal, Windsor, and his choir, all in sur- 
plices and college caps, walked quickly down the slope, through 
the crowds to the mausoleum. Then minute guns commenced to 
boom, as a battery of artillery at the foot of the Long Walk paid 
its final honors to the dead Queen. The Windsor church bells 
tolled solemnly, and the strains of the band, gradually growing 
stronger and stronger, echoed from the castle quadrangle. 

The coffin was borne from the gun carriage by the Queen's 
Grenadiers, the pipers ceased their .dirge, and the choir, moving 
forward, commenced to sing - , " Yet Though I Walk Through the 
Valley Before." 

The inside of the mausoleum being reached, they sang, " Man 
That's Born of Woman," while the royal family took their places 
around the coffin. The dome of Victoria's tomb re-echoed with 
the sad strains of " Lord, Thou Knowest." 

The choir sang Sir Arthur Sullivan's anthem, "Yea, Though 
I Walk," the hymn, " Sleep Thy Last Sleep," and Tennyson's 
" The Face of Death is Turned Towards the Sun of Light," set to 
music by Sir Walter Parratt. 

The Bishop of Winchester, standing on the platform surround- 
ing the marble figure of the Prince Consort, on which rested the 
Queen's coffin, read the committal prayer and the Lord's Prayer. 
Then the choir sang " Sleep Thy Last Sleep," the Dean said the 



5H THE IMPOSING FUNERAL 

collect, the choir broke forth into the anthem, " The Face of Death 
is Turned Toward the Sun of Light," and, with hands stretched over 
the congregation, the Bishop of Winchester pronounced the Bene- 
diction. 

A short, solemn silence followed, broken by the sweet cadence 
of Stainer's "Amen," and then King Edward and Emperor Will- 
iam, the visiting Kings and the Princes and the Queen and the 
Princesses filed before the bier and passed out to their carriages. 

The solemn ceremony was at an end. Victoria, so long Sove- 
reign Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, was gathered to her 
fathers in the tomb prepared beforehand for her. It was built 
from designs suggested by herself and under her own supervision. 
The burial-place of the British sovereigns is in the famous chapel 
of St. George, within the castle walls at Windsor, which was built 
by Cardinal Wolsey, and is considered one of the most beautiful 
examples of ecclesiastical architecture in the world. But Victoria 
would not permit the remains of her beloved consort to be placed 
in the gloomy crypt. She insisted upon building for them a 
mausoleum upon her own private property, within the grounds of 
Frogmore House, which adjoins those of Windsor Castle. Its stately 
dome is ever within sight of the windows of the apartments she 
always occupied in the castle. It is a simple but beautiful structure 
of colored marble, mosaic and bronze, and is intended for the 
remains of only two persons — her late husband and herself. The 
body of Prince Albert has been lying there for many years with a 
beautiful sarcophagus beside it that awaited her mortal remains. 

The epitaph, composed by the Queen herself, is simply this : 

" Victoria- Albert. 

Here at last I shall 
Rest with thee ; 

With thee in Christ 
Shall rise again." 



CHAPTER XXX 

Memorial Tributes 

IT is fitting that we should give here a few of the many noble 
tributes to the great Queen which have been uttered by the 
men and women who knew her best and were in sympathy 
with the noble ideals of public and private conduct which distin- 
guished her long life. 

First come the garlands of her two Poets Laureate, Alfred 
Tennyson and Alfred Austin, 

&o tbe ©ueen. 



The following beautiful tribute to the Queen was written by Alfred Tennyson, the late Poet Laureate, 
and prefixed as a dedication of a volume of his poems, March, 1851. 



Revered, beloved— Oh, you that hold 

A nobler office upon earth 

Than arms, or power of brain, or birth, 
Could give the warrior kings of old. 

Victoria — since your Royal grace 
To one of less desert allows 
This laurel greener from the brows 

Of him that utter'd nothing base ; 

And should your greatness and the care 
That yokes with empire yield you time 
To make demand of modern rhyme, 

If aught of ancient worth be there ; 



S i6 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES 

Then — while a sweeter music wakes, 
And thro' wild March the throstle calls, 
Where all about your palace walls, 

The sunlit almond blossom shakes — 

Take, Madam, this poor book of song ; 
For tho' the faults were thick as dust 
In vacant chambers, I could trust 

Your kindness. May you rule us long. 

And leave us rulers of your blood 
As noble till the latest day ! 
May children of our children say, 

" She wrought her people lasting good ; 

44 Her Court was pure ; her life serene ; 

God gave her peace ; her land reposed ; 

A thousand claims to reverence closed 
In her as Mother, Wife and Queen ; 

" And statesmen at her council met 
Who knew the seasons when to take 
Occasion by the hand, and make 

The bounds of freedom wider yet 

" By shaping some august decree, 
Which kept her throne unshaken still, 
Broad based upon her people's will, 

And compass'd Dy the inviolate sea." 




A FACSIMILE OF THE QUEEN'S SIGNATURE 



MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 51 7 

The following beautiful lines were written by England's livino- 
poet laureate, Alfred Austin, since the death of the Queen, and 
are well worth preserving among other noble tributes : 



" IDictoria." 

By Alfred Austin, poet laureate, 1901. 

Dead ! and the world feels widowed ! 

Can it be 
That she who scarce but yesterday upheld 
The dome of Empire, so the twain seemed one, 
Whose goodness shone and radiated round 
The circle of her still expanding Rule, 
Whose Scepter was self-sacrifice, whose Throne 
Only a loftier height from which to scan 
The purpose of her People, their desires, 
Thoughts, hopes, fears, needs, joys, sorrows, sadnesses, 
Their strength in weal, their comforter in woe — 
That this her mortal habitation should 
Lie cold and tenantless ! Alas ! Alas ! 
Too often Life has to be taught by Death 
The meaning and the pricelessness of Love, 
Not understood till lost. But she — but she, 
Was loved as Monarch ne'er was loved before, 
From girlhood unto womanhood, and grew, 
Fresh as the leaf, and fragrant as the flower, 
In grace and comeliness until the day 
Of happy nuptial, glad maternity, 
More closely wedded to her People's heart 
By each fresh tie that knitted her to him 
Whose one sole thought was how she still might be 
Helpmate to England ; England then, scarce more, 
Or bounded by the name of British Realm, 
But by some native virtue broadening out 
Into an Empire wider than all names, 
Till, like some thousand-years out-branching oak, 
Its mildness overshadowed half the globe 
With peaceful arms and hospitable leaves. 



5i8 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 

But there came to her an hour, 

When nor Scepter, Throne, nor Power, 

Children's love nor nation's grief, 

Brought oblivion or relief, 

When the Consort at her side, 

Worthiest mentor, wisest guide, 

Was by Heaven's divine decree 

From her days withdrawn, and she 

As dethroned by her distress, 

Veiled her widowed loneliness ; 

And, though longing still to hear 

Voice so reverenced and dear, 

All her People understood 

Sacredness of widowhood. 
Then when she came amongst them yet once more, 
She came in Autumn radiance, Summer gone, 
Leaf still on branch, but fruit upon the bough, 
Fruit of long years and ripe experience, 
A shade of grave bereavement on her brow, 
Withal more wise, more pitiful, tender more 
To others' anguish and necessities, 
More loved, more reverenced, even than before ; 
Till not alone the dwellers in her Isle, 
But the adventurous manhood of its loins, 
In far-off seas and virgin Continents 
They won and wedded to domestic laws 
And home's well-ordered household sanctities, 
Hailed her as Mother of the Mother Land, 
Queen, Empress, more than Empress or than Queen, 
The Lady of the World, on high enthroned 
By right divine of duties well fulfilled, 
To be the pattern to all queens, all kings, 
All women, and the consciences of men 
Who look on duty as man's only right. 
Nor yet alone to those empowered to be 
The subjects of her scepter, proud to pray, 
" God save our Empress-Queen Victoria ! " 
But those, our kinsmen oversea, that cling, 
With no less pride, to kingless government, 
Honored and loved her, hailed her Queen of Queens, 



MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 5 T 9 

Peerless among all women in the world. 

And long and late this happy season wore, 

This mellow gracious Autumn of her days, 

This sweet grave Indian Summer, till we grew 

To deem it limitless, and half forgot 

Mortality's decree. And now there falls 

A sudden sadness on our lives, and we 

Can only bow disconsolate heads and weep, 

And look out from our lonely hearths and see 

The homeless drifting of the Winter mist, 

And hear the requiem of the Winter wind. 

But from that Otherwhere man's Faith and Hope 

And mortal need for immortality 

Invisibly conceive, I seem to hear 

A well-remembered voice, august and mild, 

Rebuking our despondency, and thus 

Bidding us face the Future, as she faced 

Anguish and loss, sorrow of life and death, 

The tearful sadness at the heart of things : 

" Dry your tears, and cease to weep. 

Dead I am not, no, asleep, 

And asleep but to your seeing, 

Lifted to that land of Being 

Lying on life's other shore, 

Wakeful now for evermore. 

Looking thence I still will be, 

So that you forget not me, 

All that, more than, I was there, 

Weighted with my crown of care. 

Over you I still will reign, 

Still will comfort and sustain, 

Through all welfare, through all ill, 

You shall be my People still. 

I have left you, of my race, 

Sons of wisdom, wives of grace, 

Who again have offspring, reared 

To revere and be revered, 

Those on mighty Thrones, and these 

Doomed thereto when Heaven decrees. 



52o MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 

Chief amongst them all is one, 
Well you know my first-born son, 
Best and tenderest son to me, 
Heir of my authority. 
He through all my lonelier years 
Tempered with his smile my tears, 
And was, in my widowed want, 
Comforter and confidant. 
Therefore, trustful, steadfast, brave, 
Give him what to me you gave, 
Who am watching from above — 
Reverence, Loyalty, and Love ! 
And these gifts he back will give 
Long as he shall reign and live." 



Victoria and Her Ministers 

BY LORD SALISBURY 

Prime Minister of England 

We who have had the opportunity of seeing the close work- 
ing of her character in the discharge of our duty to her take 
this opportunity of testifying to the great admiration which she 
inspired and the great force which her distinguished character 
exercised over all who came near her. The position of a constitu- 
tional sovereign is not an easy one. Duties have to be reconciled 
which sometimes feel far apart ; that may have to be accepted which 
may not always be pleasing to accept, but she showed wonderful 
power of observing with the most absolute strictness the limits 
imposed by the Constitution, and, on the other hand, of maintaining 
a steady and persistent influence on the action of her ministers and 
the course of legislation — an influence which none could mistake. 
She was able to accept some things which, perhaps, she did not 



MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 521 

entirely approve, but which, she thought it her duty in her position to 
accept. She always maintained and practised a rigorous supervision 
over public affairs, giving her ministers the privilege of her advice and 
warning them of dangers, if she saw dangers ahead. She certainlv 
impressed many of us with a profound sense of her penetration, 
almost intuition, with which she saw the perils with which we were 
threatened and the course it was expedient to pursue. She left on 
my mind that it was always dangerous to take any step of any 
great importance of the wisdom of which she was not thoroughly 
convinced. Without going into details, I may say with confidence 
that no minister during her long reign ever disregarded her advice 
or pressed her to disregard it without always feeling that he had 
incurred a dangerous responsibility and frequently running into 
danger. She had an extraordinary knowledge of what her people 
would think, so much so that I have said for years that I always 
thought when I knew what the Queen thought I knew pretty cer- 
tainly what her subjects would think, especially the middle classes. 
She had extraordinary penetration, yet she never adhered to her 
own conception obstinately. On the contrary, she was full of con- 
cession and consideration. She spared no effort, I might also say 
that she shrank from no sacrifice, to make the task of conducting 
this difficult government easier to her advisers than might otherwise 
have been. 

His Majesty indeed comes upon the throne with great advan- 
tages. He has before him the greatest example he could have 
to follow. He has been familiar with our political and social life 
for more than one generation. He enjoys universal and enormous 
popularity, and is loved in foreign countries and courts almost 
as much as she was beloved. He has profound knowledge of the 
working of our Constitution and conduct, of our affairs, that provision 
and security against, mistakes that few subjects have. We may 
tender him allegiance with the hope that he will adorn the throne to 
which he has been called, the worthy successor of the most illustrious 

sovereign that ever adorned the throne of England. 
29 



5 2 2 MEMORIAL TRIB UTES BY NO TED MEN 

The First of All Sovereigns 

BY A. J. BALFOUR 

Distinguished English Statesman and Author 

The reign of Queen Victoria is no mere chronological landmark. 
It is no mere convenient division of time useful for the historian or 
the chronicler. We feel as we do feel because we were intimately 
associated with the personality of Queen Victoria during the suc- 
cession of the great events which filled her reio-n and during the 
development of the empire wherever she has ruled, and in so 
associating her personality with these events surely we do well. 

The importance of the Constitution, in my judgment, is not a 
diminishing, but an increasing, factor. It is increasing and must 
increase with all the growth and development of those free, self- 
governing communities — those new commonwealths beyond the seas 
which are bound to us by the person of the sovereign, who is the 
leading symbol of the unity of the empire. 

But it is not given to a constitutional monarch to signalize 
his reign by any great isolated action. The effect of a constitutional 
sovereign, great as it is, is produced by the slow and constant cumu- 
lative result of a great ideal and a great example. As to that great 
ideal and example, surely Victoria is the first of all constitutional 
monarchs the world has yet seen. 



One of the Noblest Women 

BY SIR WILFRID LAURIER 

Premier of Canada 

We, British subjects of all races and origins in all parts of the 
world, were inspired by sentiments of exalted and chivalrous devo- 
tion to the person of her Most Gracious Majesty. This devotion 



MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 523 

was not the result of any maudlin sentimentality, but it sprang from 
the fact that the Queen, the sovereign G f the many lands which 
constitute the British empire, was one of the noblest women that 
ever lived — certainly the best sovereign that England ever had and 
the best that probably ever lived in any land. 

We know that the present war in South Africa was particu- 
larly painful to her Majesty. She had hoped that the closing years 
of her long and prosperous reign would not be saddened by such a 
spectacle, but it was not in the decrees of Providence that this hope 
and wish should be gratified. 

We had hoped that when the end of this long and glorious 
reign came it would close upon a united empire, wherein peace and 
good will should prevail among all men. Let us still hope that this 
happy consummation may not be long delayed. 



Her Power Larger than Law 

BY BENJAMIN HARRISON 

Ex-President of the United States 

No other death could have excited so general a sorrow. 
There are persons in every nation other than Great Britain whose 
death would more profoundly move the people of that nation, but 
Queen Victoria's death will bring real sadness to the hearts of more 
men and women than any other. The drum-beat did not define her 
dominions ; the Union Jack was not the symbol of her large empire. 
More hearts pulsated with love for her, and more knees bowed 
before her queenly personality than before the Queen of Great 
Britain.. "God Save the Queen" had become a well-nigh universal 
anthem. Heredity does not stay our quest for the real man or 
woman upon whose head a crown has fallen. Indeed, that has come 
to be the way of the world. The sovereign whose life is not clean, 



524 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 

noble, sympathetic ; whose personal character is below the best 
thought of his people, is not loved, and the powers of an unloved 
king or queen are shorn, however the law may run. Queen Vic- 
toria's power was larger than the law. 

I do not care to speculate as to the effect of the Queen's death 
upon European politics further than to say that a mighty influence 
on the side of peace has been lost. The British people will find it 
hard to adjust their minds and hearts to a succession. There will 
be a disposition to make the pause unusually long after the first 
member of the proclamation, " The Queen is dead," but the other 
member will follow, and "Long live the King" will be spoken 
resolutely by Britons everywhere. 

The new sovereign will be loyally supported in his constitu- 
tional prerogatives, and will not be denied that opportunity to win 
the dominion over the hearts of his people which they yielded to his 
mother. 



A Deep Student of Politics 

BY THE RIGHT REVEREND HENRY C. POTTER 

Bishop of New York 

By the passing of Queen Victoria the British empire has lost 
its greatest upbuilding force and the strongest bond that held it 
together ; our country has lost one of its truest, most intelligent, 
and most powerful friends ; and the world at large has lost one of 
its greatest and best women. 

Nothing could be further from the truth than the belief that 
Victoria was a mere figure-head — the puppet of ministers. She was 
a woman of fine natural understanding, to begin with, immensely 
industrious, much given to studying things out for herself, a deep 
student of politics at home and abroad, and ready to take the initia- 
tive for whatever she thought right. 




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MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 525 

The influence which her personality has had in the building 
and consolidating- of the British empire and the furtherance of civili- 
zation throughout the globe has not, I feel assured, been estimated 
at its full value. Nothing so impressed me in India, Ceylon, Burma, 
and the British Colonies in China as the love of the people for the 
Queen. I do not mean among the British resident in those countries : 
I mean among the natives. Those oriental peoples are much more 
intelligent than we of the Occident generally credit them with being. 
They read, study, think, and draw their own conclusions. Their 
deep affection for the Queen could not fail to strike any one who 
entered their houses, saw her pictures in the honored places there, 
and heard them speak of her. One of the mightiest sources of 
Great Britain's power among these peoples lay in this absolute faith 
that on the throne of the empire was one who possessed all the vir- 
tues of a good woman, — wise, loving, kind, compassionate, merci- 
ful, — who would protect the weak, who would right the wrong, who 
would prevent injustice. They had a great sense of pride in her. 

The good heart of the Queen was especially shown in her 
compassion and benevolent activity at any time of distress, through 
fire, famine, shipwreck, or the sword. Her interest and her aid, 
which extended all over the world and to the most obscure, were 
purely personal, and not at all due to her surroundings. 

At the time when Garfield was stricken by an assassin this 
sympathetic quality in her was especially shown in the many tele- 
grams and messages she sent. She shared with us the shock and 
grief, and stood in spirit at the bedside of our dying President. 

Her career teaches the world the lesson that the power of a 
ruler does not proceed entirely from or depend entirely upon intel- 
lectual force, but that the humane qualities have a wonderful strength 
of their own. 



528 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 

Her Throne Near to God 

BY REV. T. DE WITT TALMAGE 

From the June morning in 1837, when the Archbishop of 
Canterbury addressed the embarrassed and weeping and almost- 
affrighted Victoria of eighteen years with the startling words, " Your 
Majesty," until the day of her death the prayer of all good people 
on all sides of the seas, whether that prayer was offered by the 
three hundred million of her subjects, or the larger number of mil- 
lions who were not her subjects ; whether that prayer was solemn- 
ized in church or rolled from great orchestras, or poured forth by 
military bands from forts and battlements, and in front of triumph- 
ant armies all around the world, has been "God Save the Queen." 

While Queen Victoria has been the friend of all art, all litera- 
ture, all science, all invention, all reform, her reign will be most 
remembered for all time and all eternity as the reign of Christianity. 

Beginning with that scene at 5 o'clock in the morning in 
Kensington Palace, where she asked the Archbishop of Canterbury 
to pray for her, and they knelt down imploring Divine guidance, 
until her last hour, not only in the sublime liturgy of her established 
church, but on all occasions, she has directly or indirectly declared, 
" I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, 
and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son." 

The mightiest champion of Christianity for sixty-three years 
was the throne of England. The Queen's book, so much criticized 
at the time of its appearance, some saying it was not skilfully done, 
and some saying that the private affairs of a household ought not so 
to have been exposed, was a book of vast usefulness, from the fact 
that it showed that God was acknowledged in all her life, and that 
" Rock of Ages " was not an unusual song in Windsor Castle. 

Was there ever an explosion of fire-damp in Sheffield or 
Wales and her telegram was not the first to arrive with help and 
Christian sympathy? Was President Garfield dying at Long 



MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 529 

Branch, and did not the cable under the sea. reaching: to Balmoral 
Castle, keep busy in announcing the symptoms of the sufferer ? 

I believe that no throne since the throne of David and the 
throne of Hezekiah and the throne of Esther has been in such con- 
stant touch with the throne of heaven as the throne of Victoria. 

From what I know of her habits she read the Bible more 
than she did Shakespeare. She admired the hymns of Horatio 
Bonar more than she did Byron's " Corsair." She has not know- 
ingly admitted into her presence a corrupt man or a dissolute 
woman. While some Queen may have surpassed the late Queen in 
learning, and another in attractiveness of feature, and another in 
gracefulness of form, and another in romance of history, Victoria 
surpassed them all in nobility and grandeur and thoroughness of 
character. 



A Beneficent Power for Peace 

BY SENATOR CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW 

Queen Victoria had the rare distinction at the close of her 
long reign of possessing the ardent love and loyalty of the many 
races of her great empire, and the admiration and respect of the 
people of all other nations. 

The beginning of the twentieth century witnesses the world 
mourning for a ruler with whose country many governments have 
relations which are far from friendly. This has occurred in no other 
era of history. She so illustrated in one of the loftiest positions of 
power the noblest qualities of woman, wife, and mother that she 
was revered in humble homes as well as in palaces all around the 
globe. Her reign of sixty-three years made her cotemporary with 
the rise of civil and religious liberty, the development of civilization, 
the intellectual progress, the exploration of the world, the inventions 
and discoveries, which lift the nineteenth century above all others, 
and which will be part of the record of her reign. 



53° 



MEMORIAL TRIBUTES BY NOTED MEN 



Unfailing tact, sound common sense, and a warm heart were 
the qualities which made her a great sovereign. At the time of the 
assassination of President Lincoln and again of President Garfield 
she instantly sent affectionate and sympathetic cables to the bereaved 
widows, which deeply touched every heart in our country. 

She has been the most beneficent power for the peace of the 
nations. Her influence has averted many collisions and settled 
quarrels which might have resulted in disastrous wars or in serious 
revolutions at home. Just what to do and when to do it was with 
her a quality amounting to genius. 

When Parliament was in session the Prime Minister sent her 
every night after adjournment a summary of the work of the evening. 
Those of Gladstone had the formality of a digest, but Disraeli gave 
to his reports that personal coloring of both acts and actors which 
delighted her. She was thus in daily touch with Parliament and 
Cabinet, and her advice or suggestion has often saved a ministry 
or minimized the mistake of a blundering leader. 

She was always desirous of maintaining the most cordial rela- 
tions with the United States, and our country has never had among 
the sovereigns of Europe such an unwavering friend. 



An Ever Memorable Reign 

BY CARDINAL GIBBONS 

The death of Queen Victoria sends a thrill of sorrow through- 
out the world, not only because of the almost universal diffusion of 
the British empire, but still more because of the domestic virtues of 
the woman whose lone and eventful reio-n will ever be memorable 
in the annals of England, and whose character will command the 
love of her subjects and the admiration of the civilized world. 



The Queen — A Canadian Tribute 



By J. Castell Hopkins, F.S.S. 

Author of " History of Canada," " Life of Sir John Thompson," etc., etc. 



THROUGH all the stages in the life of the oldest native of 
our Canadian soil, the Queen has ruled over his country 
and reigned in his heart. Her name has become synony- 
mous with the majestic position and place in the world of those 
little islands to which British people everywhere look back with 
pride and affection. It has become an emblem of the highest and 
purest home life and domestic love known to humanity during the 
past century. It has, with an ever-increasing environment of splen- 
dor, been for sixty-four years the embodiment of British power 
and Imperial growth. It has become the living centre of a loyalty 
which has grown with the years in youthful countries all around the 
globe, and strengthened with the span of men's lives in every 
clime and under every condition. It has 'developed an Imperial- 
ism which is destined to make the British realm one in unity and 
power and continued progress, wherever flies the flag of a British 
Sovereign. It has, in the United Kingdom and the self-governing 
Colonies, combined popular liberty with personal loyalty, incor- 
porated democracy with monarchy and made the Crown an effec 
tive pledge of national stability. 

The creation of such a name and fame has been a noble ser- 
vice to the world as well as to the Empire of which Queen Vic- 
toria was the head. How it developed is a part of the history of 
a great era ; part of the life of every statesman who led in the 
government of Britain or India, Canada, Australia, or South 

53i 



532 A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 

Africa ; part of the literature, the public life, the social system, the 
religious expansion, the Imperial growth, of that prolonged period. 
It is high praise to say of the Queen that she was a good woman. 
Through being so she gave her people the example of a model 
mother, a loving wife, a devoted widow, and the privilege of a pure 
Court and firm-set antagonism to all looseness in the marriage tie 
and in social morals. But she was much more than a good woman. 
British statesmen knew something of her influence upon the policy 
of the country, her deep and intimate knowledge of its affairs, her 
wise counsel and strong opinions. For over six decades Prime 
Ministers and Cabinets have come and gone, politicians have risen 
to the surface of affairs or fallen in the attempt, Governors have 
gone out from the centre of administration to all parts of the 
world in a long procession of varied character, rulers have suc- 
ceeded each other upon the thrones of Europe and the East, or 
in the fleeting seats of republican power. Yet through all these 
passing changes the Queen has reigned and come into more or less 
close personal contact with the passing phantoms of popular rule. 

Through having the continued confidence and regard of all 
her Ministers, she has had the best and highest counsel which 
could be given by such men as Wellington and Peel and Graham 
and Russell, Sidney Herbert and Derby and Gladstone and Bea- 
consfield, Clarendon and Iddesleigh and Rosebery and Salisbury. 
Wherever she may have been staying during all these years — 
whether at Osborne, or Balmoral, or Windsor, or upon the Conti- 
nent, — she has always had a Minister in constant attendance, and 
been in continuous touch by courier or telegraph with the Govern- 
ment at Downing Street. All despatches of importance have had 
to be submitted to her careful consideration, and Lord Palmerston, 
in the early " fifties," suffered dismissal from the Foreign Secretary- 
ship for occasionally disregarding this essential condition. States 
men, however, did not stand alone around her throne and person. 
At her Court have gathered men and women of fame and force in 
every department of national life — heads of the Churches, experts 



A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 533 

in science and philosophy, men of the world, women of noble aim 
and ideal leaders of art and literature, travelers from every land 
and clime, soldiers and sailors of renown. Of experience and 
knowledge they have given her their best, and in return she 
has been able to offer her statesmen and advisers the garnered 
wisdom of growing years, the treasured patriotism of a mind far 
above party or political bias, the influence of unselfish aspirations 
for the good of her people. 

Upon the actual government of the United Kingdom the 
Queen has wielded a greater power than is generally known. Con- 
stitutional it always was, and the explanation of its undoubted force 
is easily found in the strength of her own personality. Here and 
there in the biographical or autobiographical literature of the 
reign — despite the fact that no letter from the Sovereign can be 
published without her permission and the occasional repetition of 
such incidents as the burning by Sir Robert Peel of his correspond- 
ence with Her Majesty in order to avoid the barest possibility of 
its falling into wrong hands— documents have crept into print, let- 
ters have seen the light written by statesmen to one another, com- 
ments have appeared by men who knew of what they were speak- 
ing, which combine to illustrate the power she has really wielded. 
Martin's " Life of the Prince Consort " shows her intervention in 
several important matters ; Archbishop Tait's " Memoirs " give the 
particulars of her statesmanlike action in the Irish Disestablish- 
ment Crisis. Wherever the Royal influence appears it seems to 
have been exercised with tact and discrimination. 

In foreign politics her power was freely exercised, and in later 
years was so absolutely undisputed that a British leader who had 
held the post of Foreign Secretary told the writer that in matters 
of foreign policy " the Queen advised her Ministers more than 
they advised her." Certain historical incidents in this connection are 
well established. In 1844 ner intimate relations with King Louis 
Philippe of France and his wife averted an otherwise imminent 
war. The friendship which grew up with the Emperor Napoleon III. 



534 



A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 



had much to do with the alliance between France and Eng- 
land in the Crimea. Yet, in spite of those personal relations, 
Her Majesty's published correspondence with Lord Palmerston in 
the stormy years of 1 859-60 show that she several times prevented 
England from becoming an instrument of French ambitions in 
Italy and Austria. Her position in the Schleswig-Holstein ques- 
tion was not quite the popular one, and Lord Malmesbury, who 
was then Foreign Secretary, declares in his " Diary " that the 
Queen "would not hear of going to war with Germany," and that 
ultimately she carried her Cabinet with her in the policy of non- 
intervention which finally developed. During the Trent affair with 
the United States she compelled a modification of her Ministry's 
strong attitude, and practically averted war ; during the whole of 
the American Civil War her sympathies were with the North, and 
the tremendous pressure of the Emperor Napoleon in favor of 
joint intervention — favored as it was by the bulk of her own Cabi- 
net — was ultimately overcome through her personal influence with 
her Ministers. Upon later events history is as yet silent, and must 
be for years to come ; but Lord Beaconsfield has declared that the 
Queen's signature was "never placed to any public document of 
which she did not approve," and that "there is no despatch from 
abroad, nor any sent from the country, which is not submitted to 
her." It is, therefore, evident, even without a knowledge of her 
exact participation in matters of recent import, that the share taken, 
and the influence of opinions expressed by her, must have been 
very great. 

In the policy which looks for closer and more intimate rela- 
tions between the various countries of the Empire the Queen has 
been the pivot, and loyalty to her throne the key-note. Face to 
face in the earlier part of the reign with a school of political 
thought — represented by men like Bright and Cobden and Moles- 
worth and Cornewall Lewis, and in lesser degree of importance, 
by Goldwin Smith — which looked upon Colonies as encumber- 
ances and cosmopolitan commerce as the god of its idolatry, she 





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A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 535 

set herself to make the throne a rallying-point ot the opposite sen- 
timent and, in time, succeeded in her aim to such a degree that 
during the last years of the reign there was practically only one 
principal prevalent throughout the English-speaking portion of the 
Empire — one of unity, loyalty, and sympathy. She sent the Prince 
of Wales to visit Canada and the Duke of Edinburgh to visit the 
Cape and Australia at a time when the journey was long and a 
matter of serious meaning to an anxious mother. Her correspond- 
ence with Sir George Grey, when Governor at the Cape in the early 
"fifties," shows her sympathy with far-seeing plans of local federa- 
tion which were then possible, and, if carried out, would have averted 
the South African troubles of 1880 and the evils of a later time. 
Her correspondence with Lord Canning proves that changes which 
she commanded in the proposed Royal proclamation transferring 
India from the Company to the Crown prevented another mutiny 
or insurrection, just as her previous influence with Lord Panmure, 
Minister of War, at the close of the Crimean struggle, kept the 
army up to a point at which it was enabled to cope with the sud- 
den strain of the great Indian crisis of 1857. The Queen has, also, 
during her long reign been in receipt of continuous private letters 
from her Governors in all parts of the world — India, Canada, Africa, 
Australia, Jamaica, and many other dependencies or colonies — and 
her advice and frequent commands have had a far wider and 
greater influence in moulding the destinies of the Empire than the 
public has any present conception of. 

What Canada owes to the Queen may be inferred in a general 
way from what the Empire at large is indebted to her life and reign. 
In a specific sense, however, she owes much. The Victorian era 
opened with rebellion, dissatisfaction, disunion and an utter absence 
of Provincial cohesion ; it closes with peace, contentment, federal 
unity and a national loyalty which harmoniously combines local and 
Imperial sentiment. Around the throne as a stable centre of 
fealty and respect has slowly crystalized the feeling of a scattered 
people until it found gradual and indirect expression in the political 



538 A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 

union of the Provinces by confederation ; their commercial union 
by increasing fiscal and railway legislation ; their financial credit 
by following British precedent in banking and trade principles ; 
their adherance to an ever-growing policy of unity with the Empire 
in political and mititary affairs as in sentiment and commercial 
matters ; their avoidance of certain laxities and moral pit-falls 
which have troubled other nations. Into this process of evolution 
have come many elements of Royal influence and personal action. 
Working together with the more general principles applicable to 
other parts of the Empire as well as to the Dominion, they have 
produced a condition where Canadians profoundly believe in the 
institution of a limited monarchy as the only means of preserving 
a really dignified democracy and conserving a permanent British 
connection and an all-powerful Empire. Under the Queen's rule, 
they have developed aland which is "rich in heart, in home, in 
hope, in liberty " and institutions which rest upon the free-will of 
a free people, and interpret the best thoughts and aspirations of 
modern civilization while combining a wealth of historic tradition in 
the old Mother-land with the impetus and freshness of heart, new 
regions and rising nations all over the world. 

What the Empire as a whole owes to the Queen and what it 
has become under the Queen is a matter of tremendous import. 
In territory the Crown of Great Britain and Ireland, the people of 
the United Kingdom, have since the Queen came to the throne 
acquired Natal and Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Zululand, Brit- 
ish New Guinea and North Borneo, Sabraon and the most of 
the Gold Coast, Fiji and Cyprus, the basin of the Niger and 
Burmah, fully half of British India, Wei-Hai-Wei and Kowloon 
in China, a million square miles in Central Africa, the Solomon 
Islands and many minor islands in the Pacific, the Orange Free 
State and the Transvaal, and to all intents and purposes, Egypt 
and the vast Soudan region. There are 14,000,000 square miles of 
more or less cultivated and populated British territory in 1901 as 
against the wild wastes of British North America and Australia, 



A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 539 

the sea-fringe of civilized region at the Cape, the initiatory 
developments of Indian empire, in 1837. There are at least 
420,000,000 of people owning allegiance to the Crown and an Im- 
perial trade of more than.8000 millions of dollars. In 1837 the trade 
of Great Britain alone was $20 per head ; in 1900 it averaged $105 
per head. The assets of joint stock banks in the United King- 
dom are now 7,000 millions while their deposits, and those in the 
savings banks, total up to over 6,000 millions. At the beginning 
of the nineteenth century Great Britain's shipping was 4,000,000 
tons and that of the infant United States came in a good second 
with 1,850,000 tons. In i860 the American tonnage exceeded that 
of England. At the close of the Queen's reign the British 
Empire possesses a tonnage of 1 1,000,000 or nearly half the entire 
tonnage of the world, which totals up to 25,000,000. 

But the greatest feature of the Queen's reign has not been 
enlargement of the bounds of Empire, nor even the far-reaching 
expansion of commerce and wealth. It is to be found in the solid 
and substantial growth of great communities owing allegiance to 
the Crown — a progress based upon British principles of govern- 
ment and general polity, British freedom to do and dare and 
achieve. Into the vast and complex system of the Indian depend- 
ency have come during that period new countries and peoples, new 
conditions and problems, great trials and disasters. Yet nearly 
every change has been for the betterment of the masses and where 
change or reform has been refused it was through the wise 
caution of far-seeing statesmen administering the affairs of more 
than two hundred millions of human beings with all their varied 
civilizations and infinite degrees of grievance, caste prejudice and 
religious hatred. The trade of the Indian Empire has grown 
greatly, the country is gradually becoming a network of railways, 
the colleges are filled with native pupils, the intelligence of the 
upper classes is being developed along Western lines, the tyran- 
nical rule of native Princes is held in check and controlled. 
Through it all runs a perceptible sentiment of growing loyalty. 



54 o A CANADIAN .TRIBUTE 

Since the assumption of the East India Company's rights by the 
Crown, and, still more, since the initiation of the vivid appeal to 
Oriential imagination contained in the crowning of the Queen as 
Empress of India, the vast populations of that region have more and 
more awakened to the existence of a greater ruler whom they must 
respect and whose laws they must obey — a being far-away in per- 
son but ever-present in power and embodying virtues and authority 
which constitute to ignorant minds qualities of almost divine force. 
The value of this curious sentiment of Eastern loyalty can only be 
truly guaged by the depths and heights of Oriental imagination and 
the influence of a name upon minds of primeval darkness com- 
bined with perceptions of peculiar quickness. 

Australia is literally a creation of the Queen's reign while its 
popular opinion is emphatically a product of the Queen's influence. 
Within half-a-century its Colonies have grown from a fringe of 
population along the sea-shore into four millions of rich and 
prosperous people and developed into States of a powerful federal 
Commonwealth under the British Crown — enthusiastically loyal, 
strong, keenly ambitious, aggressively energetic. With a yearly 
revenue of $130,000,000, an unfelt debt of over $800,000,000, a 
registered shipping of 100,000,000 annual tonnage, the possession 
of 10,000,000 cattle and 80,000,000 sheep, the production of more 
than $50,000,000 worth of gold annually, the country has a right to 
be proud of its progress. That progress its people have made 
themselves — with the help of British capital. But, for their institu- 
tions and the curbing of a fierce democracy, the education of a 
young and aggressive people in the dignified principles of British 
government, the growth toward the Mother-land instead of away 
from it, the later tendency toward Imperialism which has swallowed 
up in victory the earlier one toward localism and independence, 
they owe much to external influences and the greatest of these has 
been the life, the ideals, the administration, the personality of the 
Sovereign. The Crown has now become the symbol of Imperial 
power, the centre of British loyalty all around the world, and as 



A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 541 

such it constitutes the motive power of an Empire's unity. With- 
out such a life and character as those of Queen Victoria it might, 
however have never attained that position in far-away democracies 
and could certainly have never reached its present degree of 
authority. The Queen was always in close touch with the Austra- 
lian Colonies. Queensland by her suggestion was given its name, 
Victoria received its baptism from the Sovereign. As the Colonies 
grew in population and power great functions were marked by tactful 
royal messages and Governors came direct from the presence of 
the Queen to the peoples of her far-away possessions. Into their 
hearts and lives she gradually grew and with the influence of her 
personality came slowly, and then swiftly, the spirit of a British 
patriotism which incorporated, instead of superceding, the dominant 
note of Australian local pride. 

South Africa has not been so fortunate. Royal visits have 
been made at the Queen's command ; loyalty amongst the English- 
speaking settlers has developed under stress of war to a white-heat 
of emotion ; the Dutch colonists have grown to appreciate the 
goodness of their Sovereign and, as a whole, have abstained from 
rebellion during the war which troubled the last days of her reign. 
How far her influence made for peace and territorial and constitu- 
tional growth in South Africa can be dimly seen from casual glimpses 
of her policy. That she favored Grey's policy in earlier days has 
been already mentioned ; that she admired and trusted and endorsed 
Sir Bartle Frere in the wise policy of a later Confederation, which 
was so unfortunately balked, is pretty well established ; that she 
sympathized with Mr. Cecil Rhodes' great ambitions and proposals 
^-without reference to details such as the Jameson Raid — is also 
known. What is not known, or at least fullycomprehended, is that 
through all these various changes in her Empire during sixty-four 
years, through the growth of villages into cities, tiny settlements 
into great States, vast areas of waste land into noble provinces, 
fringes of population into Dominions and Commonwealths, she has 
been more or less an influence upon her thirty and more Colonial 
30 



542 A CANADIAN TRIBUTE 

Secretaries — a force for constitutional freedom, for Imperial loyalty, 
for united and common-sense progress. Not always a successful 
force, of course, but always a steady, persistent, certain element 
in the better government and the greater unity of her Empire. 

The end of the long reign, the close of a noble life, the last 
days of a great era, have now come. With this tide in British 
affairs has also come an overwhelming demonstration of love and 
loyalty, the picture of a great Empire literally draped in garments 
of mourning, the spectacle of a silent and sorrowful people from 
London to Melbourne, from Calcutta to Montreal, from Capetown 
to Ceylon, following their Sovereign to her last resting-place. Such 
a scene has never been witnessed before ; it can hardly be re-enacted 
within the life of anyone now living. That her example and prin- 
ciples will live after her, goes without saying. The world has been 
better for Queen Victoria, the Empire has been greater and 
stronger, the. people have been purer and wiser, the bounds of true 
and guarded freedom have been made broader and deeper. Under 
a son and successor trained in her precepts and practices and policy 
that progress should be carried on and the lamp that has lit the Vic- 
torian era along paths of constitutional liberty and Imperial unity 
should be kept flaming with the spirit of popular loyalty and high 
ideals of government, 



CHAPTER XXXII 

The Victorian Era 

I T is a singular fact that the two periods in British history which 
are specially distinguished as "eras," periods of such leading 
importance as to be thus marked off from the ordinary course 
of events, should be the reigns of two women. No such distinction 
is given to the reigns of any of the men who have occupied the 
English throne. We read of the Elizabethan era and the Victorian 
era, but not of the eras of any William, Charles, George, Henry, 
or other English sovereign. What are we to understand from 
this ? Shall we conclude that these two women shed a lustre upon 
their respective reigns which no man could equal ? Scarcely this ; 
but they had the happy fortune to be born into the most remark- 
able periods of the history of the British realm. Around the 
throne of Elizabeth gathered the noblest cluster of authors of 
modern times, at their head the prince of the authors of ail time, 
Shakespeare the sublime. Around the throne of Victoria there 
gathered not alone a splendid galaxy of men and women of let- 
ters, but also a brilliant host of inventors, of discoverers, of scien- 
tists, of men distinguished in every field of effort and intellect, 
giving her reign a radiant eminence whose lustre was reflected upon 
the throne itself. Intellectually there was nothing beyond the ordi- 
nary in Queen Victoria, but she was born into an extraordinary age 
and shared the honor of her environment. 

Let us quote here an estimate from the London Times: "Her 
reign coincides very accurately with a sort of second renaissance 
and intellectual movement, accomplishing in a brief term more 
than had been done in preceding centuries. Since the days of 
Elizabeth there has been no such awakening of the mind of the 

543 



544 THE VICTORIAN ERA 

nation and no such remarkable stride in the path of progress, no 
such spreading abroad of the British race and British rule over the 
world at large, as in the' period covered by the reign whose end we 
have now to deplore. In art, in letters, in music, in science, in 
religion, and, above all, in the moral and material advancement of 
the mass of the nation, the Victorian a^e has been a time of 
remarkable activity." 

Various other journals speak to the same effect, and it may be 
of interest to offer some further journalistic summaries. We quote 
as follows : 

" The life of Queen Victoria spanned the most wonderful 
years of the most wonderful century that the world has ever seen. 
Other sovereigns have lived almost as long, but, if measured by 
achievements rather than by periods of time, England itself, and 
all the world with it, moved farther along during the eighty-two 
years of Victoria's life than during the reigns of all the men and 
women who had preceded her on the English throne. 

CONDITIONS AT TIME OF HER BIRTH 

"On the day of her birth, May 24, 1819, the first steamboat 
which crossed the Atlantic or any other ocean started from 
Savannah to Liverpool, making the voyage in twenty-six days. 
The same distance is now made in less than six. She was six years 
of age when the first railway-train in the world started to carry 
passengers. She was eighteen years of age, and had just ascended 
the throne, when the Morse system of telegraphy and that of 
Cooke and Wheatstone were first patented. Thirty-nine years of 
her life had passed when the first cable was laid under the Atlantic, 
and that one almost immediately ceased to operate. Fifty-six years 
of it expired before the first telephone went into practical operation. 

" Scott and Byron were in their prime when Victoria first 
began to read the printed page. None of the great writers — 
Thackeray, Dickens, Bulwer-Lytton, Tennyson, George Eliot, the 
Brownings, and the others whose names have cast a glory over her 







THE FUNERAL PROCESSION IN LONDON 
The King and German Emperor entering Hyde Park, at the Corner Entrance 



THE VICTORIAN ERA 547 

country during the past half or two-thirds of a century — had yet 
begun to work. Darwin, whose labors have revolutionized science 
and have profoundly affected the thought of moralists and theo- 
logians, was yet unheard of. 

"At the time of Victoria's birth the tramp of Bonaparte's 
armies had just ceased to shake the world, and Bonaparte himself 
was a prisoner on a British island in the South Atlantic. She saw 
every throne in Europe vacated many times. She saw her own 
country transformed politically from an oligarchy, in which only 
one out of fifty of the population was permitted to vote, into a 
democracy in which the voters number one out of six of the inhabi- 
tants. France has changed its form of government four times 
since her early girlhood days. Italy, then only a geographical 
expression, to use Metternich's phrase, has since become one of 
the great Powers of Europe, while the empire of Germany was 
still far in the future. 

" During the Victorian era the progress of the English peo- 
ple was rapid and continuous ; the population of the United King- 
dom more than doubled ; London became the centre of a world- 
wide empire ; British sails whitened every sea ; there was a marvel- 
ous expansion of the industrial and commercial resources of the 
nation ; great strides were made in material prosperity, tolerance of 
religious opinion and the diffusion of knowledge ; the social con- 
dition of the people was vastly improved, and a long series of 
landmarks of democratic reform were established. Splendid as are 
the memorials of English power recorded by the historians of the 
Elizabethan era, the Victorian age surpassed them in the substan- 
tial achievements of modern progress. While Elizabeth, with her 
masculine force and imperious disposition, exerted a more pro- 
nounced personal influence on the course of national history, Vic- 
toria was not less admirably adapted to the requirements and neces- 
sities of her own age. When her reign began personal govern- 
ment in England came to an end. Not only did her throne escape 
the storm and stress of revolutionary change in Europe through 



548 THE VICTORIAN ERA 

her flexibility in adapting her ideas of sovereign power to consti- 
tutional order and Parliamentary institutions, but she also exerted 
her influence with true womanliness, innate gentleness and marked 
individuality in promoting the prosperity and happiness of her sub- 
jects, and in dignifying and ennobling the virtues and purity of 
home life. 

'' The last but one of the most glorious events in her domin- 
ion in which she was able to exercise her royal prerogative was the 
formal establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia on January 
3, 1 90 1. The message of affectionate greeting which the aged 
Sovereign sent to this, the latest child of -Mother England, was 
almost her last utterance from the throne, and well and fitly com- 
pleted the roll of noble acts and deeds of her long and noble life." 

THE SUPREME ERA IN ENGLISH HISTORY 

These various opinions and brief reviews of a period of wonder- 
ful progress and prosperity justify us in claiming for Victoria's 
reign the honor of being the supreme era in English history. Bril- 
liant as was the reign of Elizabeth, alike in intellectual and material 
progress, it came in an age of medievalism, when war meant rapine 
and sea-rule meant piracy, and its lustre pales before that of the 
reign of Victoria, when a his*h civilization was gathering the 
richest fruits from the tree of knowledge ; when England was feed- 
ing instead of robbing the world, and was carrying enlightenment 
to the ends of the earth ; when the common man was becoming 
the peer of the nobleman ; when human sympathy was replacing 
the barbarous inhumanity of the past, and when war itself was 
being conducted in the interest of peace, and the sword was lifted 
to break the fetters of the slave or to bring the savage races of the 
earth under the beneficent influence of modern enlightenment. 

For centuries England was actively engaged in building the 
foundations of her nineteenth century empire. Her warlike career, 
her commercial enterprise, her growing industrial activity were the 
stages of progress towards the wonderful culmination which has 



THE VICTORIAN ERA 549 

passed under our own eyes. The first harvest in this career of 
development was reaped in the age of Elizabeth. From that time 
forwards there was not a reign that did not add its quota to her 
growing supremacy ; but the competition was keen, the develop- 
ment was slow, and it was not, as we have said in a former chap- 
ter, until the French Revolution, with the succeeding quarter 
century of desperate conflict, that the supremacy ot the British 
Kingdom became fully assured, and the long tide of prosperity 
and mental and material progress began which shed its brightest 
lustre on Victoria's reign. 

When the nineteenth century opened there was fairly under 
way that stupendous struggle with Napoleon and with France 
under his sway in which England was the greatest factor. Only 
for her sturdy and unyielding hostility to the great Corsican con- 
queror he might have subjected the whole of Europe — as he did 
half that continent — -to his sceptre, and then, perhaps, have turned 
and rent liberty from the British isles. This the warlike and 
indomitable spirit of the islanders prevented, and, finally, on the 
famous field of Waterloo, they brought the mighty conflict to an 
end, and rose to the highest rank in the political councils of the 
European nations. 

England's inflexible persistance in this long struggle for mas- 
tery was rendered possible by the dominion of the seas, which her 
great naval captains had given her. During its course her com- 
merce grew with tenfold its former rapidity, her home industries 
developed enormously, money flowed abundantly into her coffers, 
and was used with lavish liberality in aiding the impoverished 
Continental powers to put armies in the field. The contest ended, 
Napoleon conquered, France subdued, the island kingdom stood 
ready to reap the harvest which had been diligently planted and to 
grasp that industrial supremacy which her ships and her looms 
had won. It was in the early days of this realization of the fruit 
of her lone efforts that the infant Victoria was born — heiress to a 
Vast inheritance. 



550 THE VICTORIAN ERA 

Eighteen years afterwards, still only a girl, untrained in 
royalty's responsibilities and shrinking from the weight of the 
crown, Victoria came to the throne. Let us glance rapidly at the 
status of affairs on that June day of 1837, when William died and 
the girl Queen succeeded to Britain's sovereignty. During the 
interval between Waterloo and the date of her accession the new 
nation had been steadily and rapidly progressing, alike in commerce 
and manufactures, in science and literature, in art and invention, 
in political privilege and moral enlightenment. The Reform Bill, 
recently passed, had given a voice in the control of legislation to 
hundreds of thousands who had been before in a state of political 
serfdom. A great commercial fleet was brinp-ino- the raw materials 
of manufacture to England from all parts of the world and carry- 
ing the finished products to lands in the antipodes. Her workshops 
were increasing in number with surprising rapidity, the rattle of 
the loom and the clang of the hammer were heard everywhere 
throughout the land, and densely thronged industrial cities were 
rising where only villages or empty wastes had existed before. Coal 
and iron were being torn from the bowels of the earth as food for 
the multitudinous furnaces and factories, and over the whole land 
the clang of industry was heard. 

CONDITIONS WHEN VICTORIA BECAME QUEEN 

We speak here in the comparative, not in the superlative. 
Prosperous as was England in comparison with other nations, when 
Victoria became Queen its prosperity was but a dwarf compared 
with the giant it was to become during her long reign. And the 
condition of the people, as revealed in the Chartist agitation, their 
lack of education, their long hours of labor and insufficient wages, 
their widespread misery and destitution, formed a somewhat start- 
ling commentary upon Britain's prosperity as revealed to the world. 
Capital flourished while labor suffered, and the palace and the 
mansion stood in astounding contrast to the hovel and the hut, 
which formed their true foundations. The condition of the common 



THE VICTORIAN ERA 551 

people was the dark side of England's coat-of-arms when the 
Victorian era began. That era was to do much towards the ameli- 
oration of the condition of the laboring millions. 

Let us consider at more length some of the elements of advance 
during that era. In 1837 the population of Great Britain and 
Ireland was nearly 26,000,000. In 1901 it was 41,000,000, an 
increase of some sixty per cent., and far more than the soil — taken 
up as so much of its most fertile portion was by the parks and 
hunting grounds of the nobility — was competent to feed. Such a 
population could not have lived in the British islands in 1837, when 
the Corn ' Laws kept out foreign food, and they had only the 
product of their contracted farming lands to live upon. The repeal 
of these ill-adapted laws changed all that, cheap food poured in 
from a dozen distant countries and population rapidly increased, 
paying for the food upon its tables by the product of its labor in 
mine and mill, in factory and shipyard. To-day the United States 
with Canada, Australia and outlying colonies of Great Britain form 
her provision market, and with such abundant resources as her colo- 
nies afford there is little danger that she will be driven to the 
extremity of stravation. 

With the Victorian era came the railroad and steamship, the 
postal system and the telegraph, all of them enormously facilitating 
the transportation of goods and the despatch of mercantile news, 
and all of them playing an important part in the development of 
British prosperity. The age of invention had begun years before, 
but its results were enormously quickened by the activity of manu- 
facture, and new machines, adding ten-fold or a hundred-fold to the 
production of man's hands, were of almost yearly appearance, until 
labor became efficient to a decree that had not even been dreamed 
of in earlier times. 

Meanwhile literature and science were thriving as never before. 
In the Elizabethan era the field of intellectual activity was narrow, 
its most important triumphs being in the drama. The great bulk 
of the literature of that age was in the domain of the imagination, 



55 2 THE VICTORIAN ERA 

Lord Bacon being one of the few who ventured into a more prosaic 
field. In the Victorian era literature widened its scope until every 
held of thought was invaded. Poetry gave rise to numerous 
shinino - lights. The kingdom of prose, fiction — in its infancy in 
the earlier era — now flourished with extraordinary fertility. His- 
tory, biography, theology, philosophy, science, all formed able 
exponents, and the width and fruitfulness of intellectual labor had 
never been surpassed. 

Scientific observation was almost a virgin field of thought and 
study, and its development during the Victorian era was well nigh 
magical. Comparatively little was known of the constitution of 
nature and the marvels of the universe when Victoria was born. A 
vast collection of facts and a multitude of fertile deductions had 
been made before she died, while the application of scientific 
discoveries to human needs had gone far to change the aspect of 
the world and widen the horizon of men's lives. It is not too much 
to say that a man can do more, see more, and enjoy more in half a 
century of our time than he could have done in three centuries of 
times like those into which Victoria was born. 

Let us now briefly glance at what has been effected in the 
interest of the common people since the days of the Chartists and 
the Corn Laws. One of the most terrible evils of that early time 
was the oppression of woman and child labor in mines and factories. 
Rev. H. T. Smart tells us that "The biography of George Smith, 
of Coalville, shows how much children suffered from excessive and 
unsuitable labor during the earlier years of the Queen's reign. For 
thirteen hours a day the child Smith, when he worked in the brick- 
fields, carried forty pounds weight of wet clay on his head, whilst 
young girls carried their burdens on their abdomens, being first 
benumbed with the wet and cold, and then half-baked with the heat 
i f the kiln. 

" Largely owing to Smith's labors children have been emanci- 
pated from the form of slavery, a hundred and fifty protective mea- 
sures having been passed in their interest during this era, although we 



THE VICTORIAN ERA 553 

still allow them to commence work too soon, and earlier than do 
some not more enlightened nations than our own. Sailors have 
been legally protected from the coffin-ships in which they formerly 
risked and so often lost their lives, and workmen have been safe- 
guarded from accidents with most pleasing results, especially in the 
case of miners — fatalities amongst whom have been greatly 
diminished. 

" Municipalities have acquired the power to compel the owners 
of house property to keep their dwellings in a sanitary condition, 
and in some towns healthy homes and lodging-houses have been 
erected, either by local authorities or private persons. The names 
of Peabody and Guinness will be remembered in this connection, 
and the cities of London, Glasgow, Manchester, and the town of 
Salford may be mentioned for the attention they have paid to this 
social question." 

IMPROVEMENTS IN MATERIAL COMFORTS 

Moreover, in recent years, public baths, gardens, parks, open 
spaces, libraries, museums, technical schools, art galleries, gymnasia, 
and cheap workmen's trains have been provided, and thus in many 
respects the lot of the masses of the people has been alleviated, 
and their burdens and disabilities lightened, while the hours of 
labor have been much reduced, the rates of wages increased, the 
homes of the working classes improved, and in a thousand ways 
the situation of the masses of the people has grown better and 
their opportunities for comfort and enjoyment have increased. 

Mr. George Howell, lecturing at the Crystal Palace, in 1896, 
made the following statement concerning the ability to save from 
their wages f the workers of Great Britain : 

" People will, no doubt, be surprised to hear that in five groups 
of friendly societies the savings amount to two hundred and fifty 
millions sterling (a sum equivalent to $1,250,000,000). This is a 
striking contrast to sixty years ago. The people are no longer 
poor. The wages of skilled mechanics sixty years ago ranged from 



5 54 THE VICTORIAN ERA 

1 8s. to 24s. ; now they are getting 40s. to 42s. We are beginning 
to recognize as an economical fact that the more we pay the workers 
the better it will be for the nation. There can be no doubt that 
the condition of the people has materially improved, and, looking 
at the whole aspect of affairs, I can see a steady progress which 
has taken place mainly during the Queen's reign." 

In fact, it may be broadly stated that progress in the comforts 
of domestic life, and the general standard of living, has been a 
marked characteristic of the Victorian era. The conditions of life 
among the working classes have been modified in many important 
respects ; and there are those who are daring enough to say, with 
some show of reason, that there is now more real comfort in the 
home of a decent, sober and industrious mechanic than a century 
ago might have been found in some of the most pretentious castles 
in the land. 

EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT DURING VICTORIA'S REIGN 

The progress has been not alone in material prosperity, but in 
the intelligence of the masses as well. Education, that great lever 
of enlightenment, has been notably fostered since Victoria began 
her reign. In 1837 there were probably not above a quarter 
of a million of children in all the schools of the Kingdom ; in 
1849 there were only about half a million ; in 1886 there were four 
and a half millions, or one in every six of the population, and the 
proportion has since increased, while the school life of the child is 
from four to six times longer than in the past. In 1837 the whole 
public fund devoted to education was ,£20,000. In 1885 it was 
about ,£5,500,000, and the good work has since then gone rapidly on. 
In 1 84 1, when attention was first paid to such subjects in the 
census, forty-one per cent, of persons married could not sign their 
names. To-day we would say this of probably less than ten per 
cent. 

A system of national education was first established in 1870, 
when Mr. Forster's Education Act was passed. In 1891 this was 



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THE VICTORIAN ERA 557 

greatly improved by the Elementary Education Act, extending free 
education to all children from five to fourteen years of age and 
making attendance compulsory. While it must be said that Great 
Britain lagged behind several other nations in providing for free 
education, it is evident that vast progress has been done in this 
direction during the Victorian era, and it may safely be said 
that there are now a thousand readers to every one at the begin- 
ning of the Queen's rule. The 300 newspapers published in 1837 
have multiplied to 9000 in 1901, while the circulation has increased 
more than a thousand fold. In 1837 the Times had only 20,000 
daily circulation, and this was more than the combined circulation 
of the twelve other dailies which England then could boast. 

o 

DEVELOPMENT OF MORALITY AND PHILANTHROPY 

While these tokens of progress appeal strongly to our minds, 
the thoughtful observer finds still greater reason for gratifica- 
tion in the development of morality and philanthropy during the 
Queen's reign. Sir Walter Besant, in a paper of striking character, 
has depicted the development of humanitarian impulses and the 
dawn of a sense of pity for the children of the poor. Beginning 
with a few vivid glimpses of the heedlessness to the sufferings of 
others which marked the world's earlier ages, he gives a view of 
things as they were about the time of the Queen's accession in 
these graphic words : " Consider, well on into this century people 
looked on with callous eyes while some poor wretch was tied up 
and flogged barbarously ; not very long ago they ran after the cart 
when the criminal was flogged, laughing and shouting, without the 
least feeling of pity." 

And he goes on to paint the low state of public morals and 
the lack of human sympathy which were fostered by these and 
other open exhibitions of barbarity in dealing with the wrong- 
doer, the frightful condition of the prisons, the outrageous severity 
of the criminal laws, the general absence of altruistic feeling and 
humanitarian sentiment. 



558 THE 1 1CTORIAN ERA 

We cannot give Here an account of all that has been done for 
the improvement of the public health, for the cleanly and com- 
fortable housing of the poor, and for causing the great decrease in 
the death-rate from the new attention to sanitation. The death-rate 
in England in 1837 was over 22 per 1000, that of 1884 was less 
than 20, while the deaths from zymotic diseases, which are so largely 
the result of imperfect sanitation, were reduced to nearly one-half. 
There are other considerations to which attention must be oriven. 
One is the progress of the English people towards liberty and the 
restriction of arbitrary government. 

In the words of Justin McCarthy: "Queen Victoria is the 
first constitutional sovereign who ever sat on the English throne. 
Since the fall of the House of Stuart the sovereigns of England 
have been supposed to hold power by the will and the choice of 
their people and not by divine right. None the less, however, did 
all the Hanoverian monarchs, down to the accession of Queen 
Victoria, strenuously and stubbornly persist in ruling, or trying to 
rule, their people on the principle of divine right, just as if they 
had been Oriental Commanders of the Faithful, or Legitimist 
Bourbon Kings. William Pitt the younger, who was as much in 
advance of his age as Fox or Burke on questions of religious 
freedom, was compelled at last to give a promise that he would 
never again worry his royal master George III. with any talk 
about the political emancipation of the Roman Catholics, because 
George had already made up his great mind against any project of 
that sort, and it would put him out of temper and might bring on 
another attack of madness if his Minister were to approach him 
with any such proposals. Even in the days of William IV. 
nothing but the serious danger of a popular revolution, in which 
some of the great nobles at the head of the reform movement 
might have been compelled to take part with the people against the 
sovereign, could have prevailed on William to give up his objection 
to the formation of a really representative Parliament." 



THE VICTORIAN ERA 559 

When the youthful Princess Victoria rose to the high dignity 
of Queen, she seems to have set herself at once to learn what 
belongs to the business of a constitutional sovereign, and such a 
monarch she was from first to last. Her first Minister, Lord Mel- 
bourne, was well fitted to instruct her in her duties in this respect, 
and he impressed upon her mind that the day for absolute sover- 
eignty and royal prerogative had passed, and the Prince Consort, 
with his philosophical habits of generalization, completed her 
training. We know of her revolt against Peel, when he wished to 
deprive her of her lady attendants. That was her last attempt to 
control the Ministry, and she afterwards submitted calmly to the 
restraints of the British Constitution. The state of public feeling 
brought about by her quiet submission to the requirements of con- 
stitutional government has grown so fixed and firm during the 
more than sixty years of her reign that no future sovereign is 
likely to seek to ignore it. The several steps of reform legisla- 
tion have given the common people so decided a voice in the gov- 
ernment that it would be a dangerous effort for any monarch to 
attempt to revive the old personal government, and Edward VII. 
has shown a clear and wise recognition of this fact in his declara- 
tion that he proposes to rule as a constitutional king. 

THE EXTENSION OF THE EMPIRE. 

The kingdom to which Edward accedes is a far more extensive 
one than that over which Victoria waved her maiden sceptre. Within 
the period of her reign the width of Britain's dominion, as shown 
in a preceding chapter, became enormously augmented. This 
development is clearly shown in a recent article by Sir John Bouri- 
not, from which we briefly quote : 

"No feature of the Queen's reign has been more remarkable 
than the extension of the empire and the development of constitu- 
tional and local self-government in the great dependencies of the 
Crown. When she ascended the throne Australia was chiefly known 
as a refuge for convicts. New Zealand was not yet recognized 



560 THE VICTORIAN ERA 

as a colony, Canada was in a state of political ferment which 
ended in rebellion, and India was still ruled by a great company. 
Sixty years later, in the streets of the metropolis of the British 
Empire, there was witnessed a spectacle which the world never 
saw before, whose illustrations of the happiness and prosperity of 
the Empire far surpassed any exhibition which the Caesars of 
Imperial Rome ever gave to their citizens in the ages when all the 
world came to pay her tribute. In this imperial procession nearly 
half the American continent was represented — Acadia and Canada, 
first settled by France, the Northwest prairies, first traversed by 
French-Canadian adventurers, the Pacific Coast, first seen by Cook 
and Vancouver. There, too, marched men from Bengal, Madras, 
Bombay, Jeypore, Hyderabad, Kashmir, Punjaub — from all sec- 
tions of that great empire of India, which was won for England by 
Clive and the men who, like Wolfe, became famous for their 
achievements in the days of Pitt. 

" It was a procession which illustrated the content and devel- 
opment of the many colonies and dependencies which cover, in the 
aggregate, eleven millions of English square miles and are peopled 
by four hundred millions of souls representing many races and 
every color and creed. It was a great object lesson to the world 
of the blessings of peace, and of the prosperous development of 
colonies under the liberal system of government which has been 
one of the characteristic features of the Victorian era." 

This great extension of territory was not all gained by peace- 
ful means. England was many times forced to fight, but it is of 
interest to find how greatly she changed the arena of her warlike 
conflicts. During preceding centuries the soil of Europe had been 
the great field of her feats of arms, and this continued during the 
early years of the nineteenth century, ending with the decisive field 
of Waterloo. Since that date E norland has wao-ed but one Euro- 
pean war, the Crimean campaign against Russia, and that appar- 
ently very greatly against the wish of the Queen. The Victorian 
contests have been in Persia,. Afghanistan, India, Burmah, China, 



THE VICTORIAN ERA 561 

Abyssinia, Egypt, South Africa, and other far-off regions, her oppo- 
nents ranging from the partly civilized to the savage peoples of the 
earth, her object being to extend and secure that vast colonial 
heritage upon which she had laid her hand. 

In this series of contests we meet with no such brilliant vic- 
tories as those of Marlborough, Wolfe, Nelson, and Wellington — 
no such great battles as those of Blenheim, Waterloo, or Trafalgar; 
but they have not been without their deeds of heroism and their 
exhibitions of leadership. We cannot soon forget the memorable 
"Charge of the Light Brigade" at Balaclava, the heroic defense of 
Lucknow in the Indian Mutiny, Lord Roberts' famous march in 
Afghanistan, and various other exhibitions of British pluck and 
valor ; and any lack of brilliancy in these wars as a whole were 
amply compensated, so far as British material advantage is con- 
cerned, by the vast accessions of territory which they brought 
under the Queen's rule. 

One of the most striking results of this era of colonial wars 
and imperial development has been the immense extension of the 
British fleet to which it has given rise. The frigates and ships-of- 
the-line which carried Nelson's flag, and which still formed the navy 
when Victoria was crowned, have been replaced by a new fleet clad 
in solid steel, and armed with engines of destruction which would 
have ended the conflict at Trafalgar while Nelson was spreading 
his sails to the winds. In her exhibition of sea-power Great Britain 
to-day leads the world. Conscious of her weakness on land, as 
compared with the great military strength of several nations of the 
continent, and of the need of defending her widely-extended, colo- 
nies by strength upon the seas, she has built up a fleet of steel-clad 
monsters that throws the navy of any other nation into the shade, 
as decidedly as her commerce looms up above that of any of her 
rivals. Thus to the end of the Queen's reign the kingdom over 
which she ruled continued to bear its time-honored title of " Ruler 
of the Waves." 

31 



CHAPTER XXXIII 

Life of Edward VII., King of England 

ALBERT EDWARD, the new King of England, will be known 
to the world and to history as Edward VII., by the Grace 
of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 
Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India. He was 
born November 9, 1841, at Buckingham palace. It is told that 
the Duke of Wellington, who was in the palace, asked the nurse, 
Mrs. Lily: 

" Is it a boy ?" 

It's a Prince, your Grace," answered the incensed nurse. 

The news of the birth of the heir-apparent was received with 
the utmost enthusiasm throughout the British nation. Telegrams 
of congratulation were received, not only from those sources from 
which they might have been expected, but from thousands of the 
Queen's humblest subjects. Punch undertook to express the rap- 
ture of the nation in verses beginning : 

" Huzza ! we've a little Prince at last, 
A roaring Royal boy ; 
And all day long the booming bells 
Have rung their peals of joy." 

As an interesting fact, it may be noted that, at the christening 
of the infant Prince, the water used by the Archbishop of Canter- 
bury had been specially brought some time before from the River 

Jordan. 
562 



LIFE OF EDWARD VII, KING OF ENGLAND 5 6 3 

Before the Prince was four weeks old he was created Prince of 
Wales by royal patent, as this title does not pass by hereditary 
right, but must be conferred afresh on each holder. When he was 
five years old the Queen and Prince Albert took him with them in 
the Victoria and Albert, on a tour round the Channel Islands and 
the west coast of England, and it was on board this yacht that 
the young Prince, as the Queen records, " put on his sailor's dress, 
which was beautifully made by the man on board who makes 
for our sailors. When he appeared, the officers and sailors, who 
were all assembled on deck to see him, cheered, and seemed 
delighted with him." 

EDUCATION OF THE PRINCE 

His education was the subject of great concern to both parents, 
and his father gave special pains to drawing up a comprehensive 
scheme for it. He is said to have owed his first training to Lady 
Lyttelton, a sister of Mrs. Gladstone, who was governess to the 
royal children for six years after the Prince's birth. When he was 
five years old the British public began to manifest a great interest 
in the matter of his education, and pamphlets on the subject were 
widely circulated. After due consideration, the Rev. Henry Mil- 
dred Birch was appointed to superintend his education. 

For many years he had the instruction of a private tutor, and 
then he was sent to Edinburgh, where he pursued studies under the 
special direction of Dr. Schnitz. Afterward he was sent first to 
Oxford and next to Cambridge. 

The Prince made his first official appearance in London on 
October 30, 1849. The Queen had promised to be present at the 
opening of the Coal Exchange, but was kept away by illness. The 
Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales were delegated to take 
their mother's place. Two years later the Prince assisted at the 
opening of the great exhibition of 185 1. In this year Mr. Birch 
retired as the Prince's tutor and Mr. Frederick W. Gibbs took the 
place, which he retained for several years. 



564 LIFE OF EDWARD VII, KING OF ENGLAND 

On his eighteenth birthday he became legally of age. In a 
letter which Charles Greville called Cl one of the most admirable 
letters that was ever penned " the Queen informed him of his 
future freedom from parental control. The Prince was so touched 
on reading it that he brought it to Gen. Wellesley, with tears in his 
eyes. A month later he made a Continental tour, traveling 
incognito as Baron Renfrew. During this journey he visited Rome 
and called on the Pope. He was accompanied by Mr. Tarver, who 
had been appointed his chaplain and director of studies. 

On his return from this trip he entered upon a serious course 
of study at Edinburgh. In the newspapers of that time it was 
complained that the Heir Apparent was being overeducated and 
that life was beino- made too severe for him. From Scotland he 
went to Oxford, and was admitted a member of Christ Church 
College, where he studied chemistry under Dr. Lyon Playfair. 
The Prince took life easily as an undergraduate, joining freely in 
the social life of the university, and in all the athletic sports. Later he 
matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he graduated. 

His earliest appearance in a leading part on any public occasion 
was in 1859 at the laying of the foundation stone of the Lambeth 
School of Art, at Vauxhall. After the death of his father in 
December, 1861, he naturally became the most desirable functionary 
at all ceremonies in which beneficent or charitable undertakings 
were to be recognized by royal approval. This work continued 
during his career as Prince of Wales to occupy a large share of his 
time and was always performed with dignity, tact and patience. 
Indeed, no prince of any country has ever personally exerted 
himself more faithfully to render services of this sort to the 
community. The multiplicity and variety of his engagements 
on behalf of local and special enterprises make a surprising list, 
and necessarily involved a sacrifice of ease and leisure which few 
men of high rank would care to make. 

An interesting portion of his career at this period was his visit 
to Canada and the United States. As a return for the services of 



LIFE OF EDWARD VII , KING OF ENGLAND 565 

the Canadian Regiment in the Crimean War the Queen had been 
asked to visit her American colonies. She was unable to accept 
the invitation, but the Prince made the visit in her stead in i860. 
He was accompanied by the Duke of Newcastle. 

HIS TOUR IN AMERICA 

In Canada he was received with great joy and the many pub- 
lic functions he attended gave much satisfaction. Arches and 
banners adorned the streets and in many other ways the Canadian 
people showed their appreciation. At Hamilton, the last place in 
Canada where he made a halt, he had spoken some kindly words, 
which evoked general approval in the United States. 

"My duties," he said, "as representative of the Queen cease 
this day, but in a private capacity I am about to visit before my 
return home that remarkable land which claims with us a common 
ancestry and in whose extraordinary progress every Englishman 
feels a common interest." 

Crossing to the United States, he visited Detroit, Chicago, 
then a village of unfinished streets, and St. Louis. He participated 
in a prairie hunt, after which he went, via Cincinnati and Pittsburg, 
to Washington, where for five days he was a guest of President 
Buchanan. Visting Mount Vernon, he planted a chestnut tree 
beside the tomb of Washington. 

Everywhere he was received with boundless enthusiasm. He 
danced at a ball given in his honor at Washington, where he was 
cordially welcomed by President Buchanan. The United States, 
indeed, was prepared to receive him with open arms. His next 
visit was to Richmond, at that time a centre of hostile politi- 
cal intrigue against the government, the opening of the Civil War 
being near at hand. The Prince, no doubt, was wise enough to 
desist from any expression of opinion concerning the unhappy 
controversies then rife in the American nation. 

Returning North, he made a passing visit to Baltimore and a 
short stay in Philadelphia. Here he visited Independence Hall, 



566 LIFE OF EDWARD VII, KING OF ENGLAND 

nad a grand ball given in his honor at the Academy of Music, and 
occupied the most magnificent hotel suite of rooms in the country 
at the time in the new Continental Hotel. He visited all the 
notable places in this city. From Philadelphia he took sail for 
New York, landing at Castle Garden on October iith. He was 
driven through Broadway to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, escorted by 
the Mayor and other civic dignitaries, and cheered on his way by 
vast crowds of citizens who had gathered to do him honor. One 
feature of the hospitalities tendered him in New York was a 
parade of the Volunteer Fire Department, 6000 men strong, each 
man in uniform, and all save those at the ropes and tillers bearing 
torches. Another feature was a grand ball at the Academy of 
Music. There was no structure in New York large enough to contain 
those who wished to attend the grand ball at which the Prince was 
entertained, and 3000 guests were selected. The ball itself was 
marred by the breaking down of the floor of the old Academy of 
Music, where it was held. 

Many visitors to Central Park have taken an interest in the 
trees which were planted by the Prince of Wales on the afternoon 
of Saturday, October 12, i860, when he was being entertained in 
that city. The trees are an English oak and an American elm. 

The elm planted by the Prince has grown to be one of the 
finest trees in the Park, but the oak has not flourished, although 
it has lived and has had the best possible care and protection. 

From New York the Prince proceeded to Albany, Boston and 
Portsmouth. At Boston he was presented to Longfellow, Holmes, 
Whittier, and other American literati. He subsequently sailed 
from Canada on the naval vessel Hero, which was so delayed in 
its voyage by a severe storm that warships were sent out in search 
of the missing Prince. On reaching home he found that prayers 
had been offered for his safe return. 

In 1862, accompanied by Dean Stanley, the young Prince 
made a journey to the East, including a visit to Jerusalem. He was 
now of a marriageable age, and speculation was rife as to who 



LIFE OF EDWARD VIE, KING OF ENGLAND 567 

would be the lady of his choice. The question was settled in the 
early part of 1863, when his engagement was announced to Prin- 
cess Alexandra, the eldest daughter of the King of Denmark. 
She was three years younger than the Prince, and, though compara- 
tively poor, was beautiful and accomplished. The marriage was 
celebrated in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on March 10, 
1863. The romantic incidents connected with this event have been 
described in a preceding chapter. The Princess soon made her- 
self very popular with all classes of the British public, not only by 
her outward grace of manner, but also by her virtues and amia- 
bility. The Prince himself shared in this popularity. 

In 1869 tne Prince and Princess, whose earlier married life 
was a succession of traveling tours, visited Egypt and ascended the 
Nile as far as the ruins of Carnac. The Suez Canal formed one 
of the most interesting points in the tour. M. de Lesseps received 
and escorted them. It may now be recalled that the Prince of 
Wales performed the important ceremony of opening the sluices of 
the dam across the then finished portion of the canal, thus letting 
the waters of the Mediterranean into the empty basin of the bitter 
lakes 

In the latter part of the next year he was attacked by typhoid 
fever. For weeks his life was despaired of. The anxiety of the 
public was intense, and the news of his recovery was greeted with 
great joy. On his first appearance in public to take part in the 
memorable " Thanksgiving- service" in St. Paul's Cathedral, on 
February 27, 1872, the streets along the line of his route were 
crowded with a cheering multitude. 

THE PRINCE VISITS INDIA. j 

The visit of the Prince of Wales to India in 1875, when he 
was absent from Great Britain for four months, was bitterly 
opposed in England before his departure. By the time he returned, 
however, mature reflections and reports from India of the effect 
that his visit was having, had so changed the sentiment against his 



568 LIFE OF EDWARD VIE, KING OF ENGLAND 

"pleasure trip at the expense of the nation," that the ceremonies 
welcoming his return nearly eclipsed those of the thanksgiving 
over his recovery from illness. The House of Commons voted a 
sum of $300,000 for the personal expenses of the party. The 
Admiralty set aside $260,000 as the expenses of the voyage of the 
Serapis to and from India. The appropriation was not unanimously 
carried in the House of Commons. Mr. Fawcett, a blind member, 
whose favorite title was that of Member for India, objected to the 
vote. Thirty-three members agreed with him. Disraeli was then 
Prime Minister, and in supporting the vote his Oriental imagina- 
tion revelled in depicting the pomp with which the Prince would be 
surrounded and the pageants that would adorn his progress. Lord 
Charles Beresford was the life of the party, and many were the 
escapades contributed to the enjoyment of the Prince and the suite 
by one who is now a grave Rear-Admiral in the British navy. 

COURAGEOUS IN HIS CONVICTIONS 

The courage of King Edward's convictions was demonstrated 
in 1876 when he consented to preside at the Jubilee Festival of the 
Licensed Victuallers' Asylum, which would be called in this country 
a Home for Aged and Infirm Saloon-keepers. More than two hun- 
dred petitions were sent to the Prince from all parts of the United 
Kingdom by temperance societies begging him to have nothing to 
do with the jubilee. He made reply that he was not encouraging 
the sale of alcoholic liquors, but was encouraging an excellent 
charity which had enjoyed the patronage of his honored father. 
It was at about this period of his life that the Prince began to 
manifest his interest in public exhibitions which he inherited from 
his father. He aeain and a<^ain threw himself with enthusiasm into 
the promotion of such enterprises. One of the most successful of 
those which he encouraged, and to a certain extent brought about, 
was the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886. 

During the last ten years, as Prince of Wales, his time was 
occupied supervising the various public institutions and charitable 



LIFE OF EDWARD VII., KING OF ENGLAND 569 

interests of which he was the patron and in his usual continental 
tours. In 1898 he sustained an accident to his knee which threat- 
ened to make him lame for life, but from which it is believed he 
has been entirely cured. While subsequently passing through 
Brussels he was shot at in the railroad station by a half-witted 
youth named Sipido, but escaped injury. 

The residence of King Edward while he was Prince of Wales 
was always at Sandringham. The place was picked out for him by 
his parents on the advice of Lord Palmerston. The estate consisted 
of 8,000 acres, and he took very great interest in its development. 

The King has also been conspicuous for his keen interest in 
sports. As a child he accompanied the Prince Consort on deer- 
stalking expeditions, and by the time he was fifteen was the best 
shot in his family. Of late years he has been a well known and 
conspicuous patron of the great race courses where his horses have 
contested for the great prizes. His colors are purple, gold band, 
scarlet sleeves, and black velvet cap with gold fringe. They were 
carried for the first time in July, 1877, at Newmarket, and were 
beaten by twenty lengths. His greatest triumphs on the turf were 
the winning of the Derbies of 1896 and 1900 with Persimmon and 
Diamond Jubilee. He has won numberless less conspicuous stakes. 
But since his accession to the throne it is said that he probably will 
not continue his interest in this sport. He is fond of riding to the 
hounds, and of all sorts of shooting. He has always been a keen 
deer-stalker, and, to quote his own words : " There is nothing I 
like better than a good day's shoot. It seems the only thing 
which takes me out of myself and makes me forget the cares and 
responsibilities of my position." 

Fortunate as he has been in horse-racing, he has had even 
greater success as a yachtsman. He has repeatedly won the 
Oueen's Cup at Cowes, and has been a member of the Royal 
Yacht Squadron, of which he became Commodore in 1882. His 
most famous boat was the cutter Britannia. 



570 LIFE OF EDWARD VII., KING OF ENGLAND 

But the time and attention of the Prince were by no means all 
given up to the occupations above spoken of, political questions 
interesting him as much as those of a sporting character. He has 
long been a close follower of the news of the world. In times 
when there are armies in the field, and especially when there are 
British armies in the field, he kept constantly in touch with the 
telegraph wires, and was recognized as one of the keenest students 
of European politics. When in London the demands upon his 
time were apportioned upon a set schedule, from which he seldom 
varied. He was accustomed to receive about two hundred letters 
a day and to answer most of them in person. 

HIS NEW DIGNITY 

We have heretofore spoken of Victoria's oldest son merely as 
Prince of W T ales, a position which he held for sixty years of his 
life. We have now to speak of him under a higher title of dignity, 
that of Edward VII., successor to Queen Victoria as Sovereign of 
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 

Leaving the Isle of Wight for London on January 23d, the 
day after the Queen's death, he found a loyal throng waiting to 
preet their new King, as he was driven throup-h the streets of the 
metropolis. A meeting of the Privy Council had been called, 
and by the time the King arrived a great gathering of Privy Coun- 
cilors, in levee dress, with crepe on their left arms, had taken up 
positions in the throne-room — Cabinet Ministers, Peers, Com- 
moners, Bishops, Judges, the Lord Mayor, etc., and a host of the 
most prominent personages in the land, who were there to receive 
the King's formal oath, bindinp- him to trovern the kinp-dom accord- 
ing to its laws and customs, and to hear him assume the title of 
King Edward VII. of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of 
India. 

The ceremony was interesting and according to precedent. 
The King took his position in a separate apartment from the Privy 
Councilors, while to the latter, the Duke of Devonshire, Lord 



LIFE OF EDWARD VIE, KING OF ENGLAND 571 

President of the Council, formally communicated the death of 
Queen Victoria and the succession to the throne of her son, the 
Prince of Wales. The royal Dukes, with certain Lords of the 
Council, were then directed to repair to the King's presence to 
acquaint him with the terms of the Lord President's statement. 
Shortly afterwards his Majesty entered the room in which the 
Councilors were assembled and addressed them in a brief speech. 
Lord Salisbury then administered the oath to the King. After- 
wards, the various members of the Council, commencing with the 
Lords in Council, took the oath of allegiance, and then passed 
in turn before his Majesty, as at a levee, except that each paused 
and kissed the King's hand. 

King Edward in his speech to the Privy Council said : 

"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords and Gentlemen: This is 
the most painful occasion on which I will ever be called upon to 
address you. My first melancholy duty is to announce to you the 
death of my beloved mother, the Queen ; and I know how deeply 
you and the whole nation, and, I think I may say, the whole world, 
sympathizes with me in the irreparable loss we have all sustained. 

"I need hardly say that my constant endeavor will be always 
to walk in her footsteps. 

" In undertaking the heavy load which now devolves upon me, 
I am fully determined to be a constitutional Sovereign in the 
strictest sense of the word, and, so long as there is breath in my 
body, to work for the good and amelioration of my people. 

" I have resolved to be known by the name of Edward, which 
has been borne by six of my ancestors. In doing so I do not under- 
value the name of Albert, which I inherit from my ever-to-be 
lamented, great and wise father, who by universal consent, is, I 
think, deservedly known by the name of Albert the Good, and I 
desire that his name should stand alone. 

" In conclusion. I trust to Parliament and the nation to support 
me in the arduous duties which now devolve upon me by inheritance, 



572 LIFE OF EDV/ARD VII, KING OF ENGLAND 

and to which I am determined to devote my whole strength dur- 
ing the remainder of my life." 

On the following day, January 4, 1901, London was given a 
glimpse of the customs of mediaeval times. The quaint ceremonies 
with which King Edward VII. was proclaimed at various points of 
the metropolis exactly followed ancient precedents. The officials 
purposely arranged the function an hour ahead of the published 
announcement, and the inhabitants, when they awoke, were sur- 
prised to find the entire space between St. James' Palace and the 
city lined with troops. About 10,000 soldiers, Life Guards, Horse 
Guards, Foot Guards, and other cavalry and infantry regiments, had 
been brought from Aldershot and London barracks after midnight. 

All the officers had crape on their arms, and the drums and 
brass instruments were shrouded with crape. The troops made an 
imposing spectacle, but they were entirely eclipsed by the strange 
spectacle presented by the officials of the College of Arms. 

The ceremonies began at St. James' Palace, where, at 9 o'clock, 
Edward VII. was proclaimed King of the United Kingdom of Great 
Britain and Ireland, and Emperor of India. The proclamation, 
read by William Henry Weldon, King-at-Arms, was as follows : 

" Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to call to His mercy our late 
Sovereign, Lady Queen Victoria, of blessed and glorious memory, by whose 
decease the imperial crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 
is solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Prince Albert Edward, 
we, therefore, the Lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, being here assisted 
with these of her late Majesty's Privy Council, with numbers of other principal 
gentlemen of quality, with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of London, 
do now hereby with one voice, consent of tongue and heart, to publish and pro- 
claim that the high and mighty Prince Albert Edward is now, by the death of 
our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful 
liege Lord, Edward VII., by the grace of God King of the United Kingdom of 
Great Britain and Ireland, defender of the faith, Emperor of India, to whom we 
acknowledge all faith and constant obedience with all hearty and humble affec- 
tion, beseeching God, by whom all Kings and Queens do reign, to bless the 
Royal Prince Edward VII. with long and happy years." 



LIFE OF EDWARD VII., KING OF ENGLAND 573 

The proclamation was greeted by a fanfare of trumpets. At 
the conclusion of the ceremony the band belonging to the Foot 
Guards in the Friary Court played " God Save the King." The 
members of the King's household witnessed the ceremony from 
the balcony of Marlborough House. 

The officials then marched in procession from the balcony, 
through the palace, to the Ambassadors' Court, where a number of 
royal carriages had been placed, by the direction of the King, at 
the disposal of the Earl Marshal. These took the officials who 
read the proclamation to the city, and, escorted by a detachment of 
Horse Guards, formed a picturesque and gorgeous procession. 

A blare of trumpets announced the progress of the cavalcade 
as it proceeded through the Trafalgar Square and the Strand. 
Onward it went, passing into the city at Temple Bar, where it was 
met by the Lord Mayor in showy procession. 

It was there that the two processions were to merge in kaleido- 
scopic grandeur. The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen and mace- 
bearers, in scarlet, fur-trimmed robes, cocked hats, ruffled shirts, 
silk knee-breeches and low buckled shoes, peered out from the Cin- 
derella-like coaches that would have been the envy of Alice in 
Wonderland. Overhead, in the midst of the pageant, the great 
Griffin which marks the city boundary spread its wide, fantastic 
wings, like some great Hindu 'god. In their gold liveries the white- 
wigged coachmen of the Lord Mayor looked down contemptuously 
upon soldier, herald and peer. In the olden days a veritable bar 
or gate separated the city from without. On this ceremonial day 
ten strong policemen stretched a red silken rope across the thor- 
oughfare in honor of the city's ancient privileges. 

As the clock struck the time the officer in command of the 
troops cried, " Attention ! " The rifle-stocks came down with a 
click upon the asphalt pavement, and two gold-laced trumpeters 
appeared at the Griffin's side. The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, 
mace-bearers, chaplain, remembrancer and the white-wigged Judges 
of the city courts left their carriages and grouped themselves 



574 LIFE OF EDWARD VII, KING OF ENGLAND 

together between the lines of drawn- up troops. Then the City 
Marshal, and the Norroy King-of-Arms, whose green-and-gold 
tabard outshone those of his colleagues, appeared at the imaginary 
bar. His trumpeter blew a shrill blast, which the Lord Mayor's 
trumpeters answered, and then the City Marshal rode up to the 
barrier and demanded, "Who goes there?" 

The Norroy King-of-Arms replied that it was the King's 
herald, come to read a proclamation, " Enter herald," said the 
Marshal, and the herald was conducted to the Lord Mayor and 
Aldermen, who were still grouped in the street. 

The herald then read the proclamation, to which the Mayor 
and Aldermen replied : " We, with one voice, consent, tongue and 
heart, pledge allegiance to King Edward VII." 

Thus ends our story of how the great Queen of England 
passed away and the new King came to the throne. Full of years 
and the wisdom which comes with years, he has taken upon himself 
a mighty responsibility, but one which we feel sure he will bear 
well and with high, credit to himself and his nation. Kin of Edward 
is credited with strong common sense ; he knows the temper of the 
English people so well that he will probably never be so unwise as 
to attempt to thwart their will, and the recent history of England 
shows that a sovereign who follows the nation will win honor 
for himself and glory for the realm. During the whole of his 
lifetime he has lived under the shadow of the greatest responsi- 
bility that can fall to the lot of any man — to be King of England. 
The commonsense distinctive of Queen Victoria descends to her 
eldest son, and if his ideals are sometimes considered to fall short 
of the standard set up for other people by the unco guid, it is not 
that the King does not believe them, but that he does not talk 
about them. It is impossible in the nature of things that Edward's 
reign will be a long one. It is satisfactory to know, however, that 
the sceptre so worthily held by a good woman has passed into the 
hands of an English gentleman. 



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